A SCHOOLBOY has won a writing competition by penning a poem about his desire to join the Royal Marines and fight for his country.

Joe Cuthbert, 12, who attends Shenfield High School in Alexander Lane, wrote how he dreamed of "the deserts of Afghanistan" and "bullets flying over your head".

His mother Emma Cuthbert, 46, admitted she was concerned by her son's perilous ambitions but accepts he is determined to follow in the footsteps of a family friend who served in the Falklands.

"It scared the life out of me to be honest but he's got a family friend who was in the Marines," she told the Gazette.

"Joe's always loved writing short stories and he's a very talented writer."

The fearless Year Eight student's piece, entitled A Life of Excitement, won the South East regional award for Kip McGrath Education Centre's writing competition 'Dream a Big Dream'.

"I can't believe I won really," said Joe.

"It was just something I did in class.

"I do like writing stories and other things so that helped."

He continued: "Joining the Marines is something I'd like to do one day.

"My mum's pleased I won but she wasn't too keen to begin with."

Schalk Meyer, of the Shenfield branch of Kip McGrath, said: "We are so pleased that Joe shared his big dream and what a great achievement to have won in the South East.

"We wish Joe all the success he deserves and we are proud of all the young people like him whose dreams will form the backbone of our country in the future."

Sally Fisher was part of the regional judging panel that spotted Joe's talent.

"The quality of entries we received from the region were of a very high standard and it was really inspiring to read about the big dreams of young people across the south-east," she said.

"Joe is a very worthy winner and on behalf of the judges I congratulate him."

Joe Cuthbert's Poem

SLIMMERS have donated piles of old ill-fitting clothes to charity in a bid to turn their size-dropping success into life-giving cash.

Slimming World members from Brentwood and Ongar gathered up their oversized garments by the bag-load before donating them to Cancer Research UK.

"It has been a great effort by everyone" said Tracy Stringer, the Slimming World organiser for both towns.

"By donating our old clothes, slimming can benefit both the slimmer and the charity."

The slimmers dropped off more than 90 bags of clothing, worth around £2,700 to the cancer charity's shop in Brentwood High Street on Saturday.

"It took four cars to get all the bags to the shop on Brentwood High Street," said Ms Stringer, 48.

"The sheer number of bags was quite a sight.

"Slimming is very rewarding for the slimmer but it is nice to be able to make it rewarding for a charity as well."

Cecelia Arias, manager at the Brentwood Cancer Research shop, said: "Everything we raise for charity comes from donations.

"Without the donations of clothes and everything else we wouldn't be able to raise the money that we do and help to beat cancer."

The garment-giving scheme has been going on across the country, with many different Slimming World groups taking part in The Clothes Throw.

The local Slimming World groups have been very charitable in recent months – in April they raised over £2,000 by walking from Budworth Hall in Ongar to the cricket ground in Brentwood.

The idea was the brainchild of super-slimmer Jo Keating, of Ongar, who has lost over seven stone since joining Slimming World.

Mrs Stringer is also organising a charity "Zumbathon" in June where members will take part in a non-stop Zumba class.

"Slimming World has partnered with Cancer Research UK this year but I will also be putting on as many charity fundraisers as I can," she said.

Finbar Sheehan of Cancer Research UK said: "Cancer Research UK's shops have been overwhelmed by the amazing response from local Slimming World groups.

"With each bag worth around £25 – and even more with Gift Aid.

"These goodies from the Brentwood and Ongar groups will go a long way to helping to bring forward the day when cancers are cured."

OLYMPIC gold medallist Jason Gardener visited Great Baddow High School where he spoke to aspiring young athletes.

Gardener, who won gold at Athens in 2004 in the 4x100m relay, spoke to children in assembly in the morning before working with the Duffield Road school's elite sprinters in the afternoon.

The school received the visit from the 37-year-old after one of its pupils, Sally Ann Smith, won the Young Person Innovation Award at the Youth Sport Trust's 2013 Conference in February.

The award was part of the Youth Sport Trust's Innovation Awards, which recognise and award best practice and achievements through PE and sport by schools.

Sally Ann received the award in recognition of her commitment to sport and passion for supporting others in sport, including her coaching activities across different sports before and after school, supporting swimming lessons for young people with disabilities and leading and volunteering at over 30 sports festivals.

Gardener joined pupils, staff and governors to officially open the school's new 60m sprint straight athletics track, which the school hopes will help inspire students to enjoy athletics. Jason will also lead a sprint masterclass with young people on the new track.

During his visit, Gardener talked about his journey to Olympic glory in Athens 2004, highlighted the benefits of taking part in sport and spent time with pupils training to be PE teachers to provide them with tips on motivating athletes to succeed.

Youth Sport Trust ambassador Gardener said: "Sally Ann is a remarkable volunteer and it's clear to see she is a dedicated leader in her school and community, doing some great things for young people in Chelmsford."

Jessica Ferguson, head of PE at Great Baddow, said: "We have lots of passionate young athletes and coaches who will benefit from using this new facility and to have an Olympic champion officially open it for us was a great privilege."

TO ANY passer-by the white semi-detached home in Anderson Avenue, Melbourne, is just like any other on the quiet residential road.

Ladies wearing jumpers and jeans come and go, a cosy living room can be spied through the window and cars are parked across the driveway.

But behind the inconspicuous front door an ancient community of canonesses are busy co-ordinating celebrations for their 370th anniversary.

"The external may have changed from our beginnings but essentially it's all the same," said Sister Moira, who lives with three other sisters at their Chelmsford base.

"This anniversary seems a good moment in our lives to share this history. It gives us the chance to tell our story and to show that really it's only the external expression of our order that has altered."

With English origins dating back to 1642 when Queen Elizabeth I forbade public worship of Catholicism, the canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre began life in exile in Belgium under 20-year-old founder Susan Hawley.

Forced to migrate back across the Channel to England during the 18th century, however, the community established themselves at the grand New Hall estate in Boreham in 1799 which they purchased for just £4,000.

"The order chose between that and Clarence House – lived in by the Royal Family of course – but it was thought living too close to the capital might be distracting for the nuns," said Sister Moira, one of the 17 canonesses working in the communities of Essex.

The sisters founded and ran independent New Hall School until 2005, surviving the struggles of two world wars including significant damage from bombing in 1943.

Indeed many of their current members, the oldest of whom is 84, joined the community directly after finishing at the Chelmsford school, although others – like Sister Moira – took the step later on in life.

"I was in my thirties and looking for something that would take my whole life, not just something that was part of my work or family but my entire life" she said.

However, after overseeing the daily running of the school for more than 200 years, the nuns decided to set up a Trust and pass the role to lay persons so that they might take their work elsewhere.

"We've always sought to adapt to what is needed in society and at that time providing a high quality education to children was needed," said Sister Moira. "It was the most beautiful place to live and we all miss it in a way, but I think we all agree that it was the right thing to move away to carry on our work elsewhere.

"We chose areas we knew to be socially deprived across the diocese, one of which was Melbourne in Chelmsford, where we believed we could respond to the needs of people."

The nuns began from their base in Anderson Avenue in 2005, setting up a group for the elderly, and homework clubs for youngsters, but their efforts flourished and the ladies are now familiar faces in Melbourne.

Their 'Melbourne Project', which has been running since 2003, battles social problems like drink, drugs and teenager pregnancies on Chelmsford's most socially-deprived estate.

In 2010 they were praised by a government minister as a shining example to the rest of the country for helping to reduce antisocial behaviour and bringing a community together.

"We quickly became known in the area as a place where people could go for advice, for practical help or a shoulder to cry on," said Sister Moira. "And now that we've been here for many years any trouble we might have from the teenagers is tempered by the fact that we have known them since they were very little. We never really get anything but smiles and co-operation."

Although many are now in their eighties, the canonesses continue to work tirelessly for the Melbourne community and Sister Moira laughs at the mention of "spare time" as they divide themselves between cookery classes, holiday clubs and social events for the elderly.

And this year the dedicated women have taken on a further task in compiling an exhibition for their milestone anniversary which will be displayed at Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall in Melbourne on June 7 and 8.

"It's been a lot of work but it's a great achievement," said Sister Moira, who still travels abroad regularly to visit branches of the community in Europe and Africa. "It has brought together so many people from the past and present. It's been an absolute joy."

An embroidered butterfly was chosen by the community to mark their 370th birthday, a symbol of what they continue to believe in.

"The butterfly appears to die as a caterpillar but then it emerges as a butterfly more powerful than before," said Sister Moira.

"We want to show to people, particularly in an area such as Melbourne, that although life can be difficult and grim there is hope."

THE FATHER of the Cortina who became the chief executive of Ford UK and then a thorn in the side of the Thatcher government as the head of the Confederation of British Industry has died aged 89.

Sir Terence Beckett, who lived in Margaretting, was the chairman of Ford and later the director general of the CBI during which time he urged its members into "a bare-knuckle fight" with Margaret Thatcher's government as her market-led policies began to bite.

It is perhaps his part in developing the Cortina – Ford's family saloon with a 1,300cc engine in 1962 – that is his most lasting legacy.

He also helped to develop the Transit van and thanks to these models Ford became the market leader, taking 30 per cent of UK new car sales and increasing its profits from £3 million to £347 million in five years.

The decisions made at the Warley-based HQ, helped his appointment as chief executive in 1974 and chairman of ford UK two years later.

In 1980, aged 56, he left his job to become the director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Sir Terence, who was knighted in 1978, took over at a difficult time for the UK employers' organisation and a poignant moment during Thatcher's stamp on Government economic policies. Within six weeks of the appointment he told a CBI Conference at Brighton "to take the gloves off and have a bare-knuckle fight" for a lower pound, lower interest rates and a reduction of the National Insurance surcharge on employers.

For the next seven years, he not only clashed with trade union leaders but also with the government of Margaret Thatcher during British industry's steady decline from its heights.

Sir Terence, who was born in 1923 in Walsall in Staffordshire, and educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School saw service in India and Malaya as a captain in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during the war.

He graduated in mechanical engineering and economics from the London School of Economics and was said to have been a quiet family man who counted bird watching as a favourite hobby.

Fellow bird-watcher Eric Pickles MP said: "I remember him to be a very pleasant guy who was very switched on."

Sir Terence, who lived in Margaretting, died on May 2.

He married his wife Sylvia in 1950, with whom he had a daughter.

AN ACTION group in Witham is stepping up its fight to stop a road being built though an estate, by trying to get some land protected as a village green.

Teign Drive residents are opposed to a through-road due to be built on grass that runs between rows of houses on the estate. The road will give access to new houses due to be built on an over-grown piece of land at the back of the cul-de-sac.

Now the Humber Road Residents Association, a group that meets to discuss the interests of the area and support community initiatives, is using this new tactic in the battle with the council.

The action group has applied to Essex County Council for village green status for the land, which would protect the grass area from being concreted over.

Now that the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 has been passed, it is no longer possible to apply to register land as a village green if it has been earmarked for development.

However, applications which have already been submitted will be processed and the residents of Teign Drive applied just in time before this piece of legislation hit the statute books.

One of the criteria to gain village green status for the piece of land is that there has to be uninterrupted recreational use for over 20 years and that a significant number of local people use it.

At a Humber Road Estate Community Initiative meeting, chairman Ken Davies said: "To get village green status we have to show the area is set aside for residents.

"This can be proved as there used to be a seat on the green, children use it, and there may be historical artifacts as well as flora and fauna at risk if the road goes ahead.

"The houses were built so residents can see down to the trees.

"Braintree District Council's objections to our proposed alternatives for the road were on grounds of costs, but residents' quality of life will be much lower if the road goes ahead."

As part of the Local Development Framework, Braintree District Council has to build 4,600 houses in the area by 2026.

Fifty of these have been proposed for land off Blunts Hall Road, next to Teign Drive.

Residents collected 185 signatures as part of an earlier petition to take to the public consultation in April last year.

Councillor Bill Rose said: "We're not against houses being built; we're against the road and think it's inappropriate to build here as there are other areas in the town that could be developed.

"We would argue that the houses in this proposal could be absorbed in other developments in the town.

"Witham Town Council fully support the Teign Drive residents in their application for village green status.

"This option has only been taken because it's the cheapest. With the new houses there would be too much through traffic trying to use Humber Road."

MEMORIES of 30 years of providing care for patients have been relived at a Brentwood hospital.

Spire Hartswood Hospital turned 30 on Wednesday and the occasion was marked with a party and afternoon tea for current and former patients, staff and friends.

The private hospital is located in Eagle Way, Great Warley and since its beginnings in 1983 it has undergone several changes including the construction of two extra operating theatres and a huge growth in its bed capacity.

Spire Hartwood's current hospital director Mark Gilmour told the Gazette: "I have worked here for seven years.

"It has changed over the years – it has got busier and the way we work with the NHS has changed.

"I love working here – having been in the Royal Air Force and Eurostar, this is a really nice place to work. There are people here that make you laugh and smile on a daily basis."

A very important patient also came along to join in the celebrations. Danielle Barnett, from Stapleford Abbots, was the first person to be operated on at the hospital. She is also the lead singer of the techno/house group Urban Cookie Collective, best known for their 1993 UK number two hit The Key, The Secret.

Ms Barnett said of her consultant, Bhavanesh Chopra: "I was looked after by this amazing consultant. I have been here many times over the years and it's always been an amazing hospital with brilliant consultants.

"I would recommend the hospital to anyone and we would never go anywhere else.

"I trust them implicitly and that's the most important thing – you cannot buy that trust."

She added: "I have been the lead singer of the Urban Collective for 15 years and I have been able to travel around the world.

"I was recently gigging in Holland and Norwich and I am also a vocal coach and taught Molly Rainford who was in the final of last year's Britain's Got Talent."

Mr Chopra, who lives in Hornchurch, said: "I have treated Danielle's whole family.

"It feels great to have worked at the hospital for 30 years, especially seeing Danielle today.

"It has been a very good place to practice from and the staff have been very good.

"I have also been a patient here for nearly two weeks with my back problem and had very good treatment and the nurses were very kind so I have been on the providing and the receiving end.

"The hospital has changed tremendously and it's enlarged in all directions.

"We used to only have two theatres and now we have four, there is a bigger bed capacity and the consulting capacity is four times as big. But it has always been a happy place to work."

Nuala Howes was the original matron at the hospital and remembers the early days.

She now lives in Northamptonshire after leaving The Hartswood and working as a nursing agency manager in Billericay.

She said: "I worked at the hospital for 15 years and it has changed enormously since I left. I have some fantastic memories of happy times and everyone knew everyone – it was the baby I never had.

"We had a splendid team and I still keep in touch with a lot of the staff."

Jenny Probert, 57, of Langdon Hills, is a staff nurse at the hospital and has worked there from the start.

She said: "I have always loved it here – it just felt like a second family. We have had really good times and have kept long friendships.

"It was totally different at the start to how it is now and the hospital has got much bigger.

"We do have patients coming time and time again to this place – they say it's more friendly than other hospitals. I hope to stay working here."

Another special guest at the hospital was 68-year-old Martin Cosgrove who was in charge of part of the building of the hospital.

He owns M. G. Cosgrove Construction Ltd and lives in The Avenue.

He said: "31-and-a-half years ago I started work and it took a year-and-a-half to build it.

"I had about nine builders doing drains and groundwork.

"It has been interesting to come back after all that time – I am glad I am still healthy and working.

"I had an operation here a year ago and I told them I worked here building the place."

Terry French, 66, lives in South Woodham Ferrers and is an engineer at the hospital, a post which he has held since before the hospital opened.

He said: "I started on April 18, 1983, one month before the hospital opened its doors.

"It has changed a lot – it was only a 24-bed hospital with two theatres but now it has grown and has a hydro pool and many other extensions.

"There is a lot more work for me to do.

"As maintenance engineer I do a bit of everything and I have enjoyed it – that's why I'm still here.

"We used to do a London to Brighton bike ride with the staff as well as the Stratford-upon-Avon raft race."

He added: "I have made lots of friends and am looking forward to seeing them all this afternoon."

For more information about the hospital, visit www.spirehealthcare.com.

OUT-of-control weeds reduced a pensioner to tears during a visit to her late husband's grave in Brentwood – prompting her son-in-law to fume that "discipline and respect are now a thing of the past".

Widow Joan Newsome, 82, wept when she saw the state of Gerald Newsome's final resting place in the Brentwood Borough Council-owned London Road cemetery.

According to her son-in law, Robert Jones, Mr Newsome's grave was surrounded by weeds and foot high grass which he said made the area look more like a "wild meadow" than a graveyard.

Mr Jones was also upset to find grass cuttings strewn over several of the graves during his visit on May 15.

Besides his father-in-law, Mr Jones' mother Anne, and sister, Linda, are buried at the cemetery, as is his wife Gillian's uncle, John.

Mr Jones, 59, who was born and bred in Brentwood, but moved to Suffolk last year, said: "It is obvious that the council staff had not been careful and had used a strimmer to cut the grass – not a traditional lawnmower."

He said that he had also found the graves covered with grass cuttings during a previous visit in September 2012.

"Why is this cemetery being left in this state?" he asked.

"Surely the local council have a responsibility to keep these areas tidy?

"I understand that discipline and respect are now a thing of the past, but surely the local council should at least respect the dead."

Mr Jones' sister-in-law Beverley Morris, 46, said: "My mum Joan was in tears when she went down there.

"The grass was so overgrown you couldn't see the stones – the place had just been left to go to rack and ruin.

"Apart from anything else the strimmer blades keep damaging the headstones."

Beverley's mother Joan, who lives in Pilgrims Hatch, has a space in the same plot as her late husband.

Mrs Morris added: "The water pipe has not been connected so you have to take your own water which is not ideal for pensioners having to get there on the bus.

"My brother Robert was down again on May 15 and again it was obvious they had used the strimmer – it was just shabbily done.

"It seems there is no pride anymore and it is very upsetting for those relatives who want to go down to visit their loved ones."

Councillor Keith Parker, the council's spokesman for environment and parking, said: "We are very aware of the need to keep the cemetery in a tidy and cared-for condition so that people visiting graves feel that it is a respectful environment.

"We cut the grass as frequently as our resources allow but there are occasions when it gets longer than we would like, often because our staff time is taken away from maintenance to deal with burials.

"We do also try to keep grass cuttings off graves and headstones but sometimes the wind blows the cuttings around.

"We inspected the cemetery on Thursday and will be keeping a careful eye on this matter."

A GOLD medal discus thrower is looking to triumph in the Paralympic Athletics World Championships in July after impressing in Chelmsford.

Josie Pearson, who is also a wheelchair rugby star, threw 6.7 metres at Chelmsford Sport & Athletics Centre – better than her 6.58-metre throw at London 2012 - and it would have been a world record at a different event.

"Unfortunately for Josie, although the distance stands and holds her in good stead for the Worlds, the world record cannot be ratified as the competition did not meet all the rigid criteria required," said centre manager David Griffin.

The Bristol-born athlete, who was paralysed after a car accident in 2003, was one of eight Paralympics GB athletes competing in Cerebral Palsy Sport's Grand Prix at the Melbourne site.

Also competing were bronze medallists Robin Womack and Gemma Prescott, as well as London Paralympic giants Jonathan Adams, Kieran Tscherniawsky, Derek Derenalagi and Rhys Jones.

"In difficult cold conditions many athletes performed well and a number gained season best performances," added Griffin.

At the May 18 event, Chelmsford Athletics Club's very own Joshua Bain, who competes internationally in the U20s, beat his personal best in the F37 shot put and javelin.

While last Saturday's CP Sport is primarily for athletes with cerebral palsy, all disabled groups are invited to the annual spectacle.

For more information, call the centre on 01245 605666.

THE headteacher of a Billericay school insists it is making progress despite Ofsted downgrading it from outstanding to requiring improvement, in its latest report.

Ann Robinson, the head of Buttsbury Junior School in Norsey View Drive, said she is not surprised by the education watchdog's conclusion.

Inspectors believe pupils at the school are not making enough progress and, as a result, the school has been rated as level three, requiring improvement, a grading previously known as satisfactory.

Mrs Robinson, who took over the headship of the school in January, believes the report is an accurate assessment of the school and that new policies already in place have yet to take full effect.

She told the Gazette: "I believe the report is a fair summary of the school as it stands at present but we already have the building blocks in place – i.e. motivated and dynamic staff, a clear plan, a committed governing body, supportive parents and lovely children. So I am sure we will rapidly improve the issues raised."

The school, which has almost 500 pupils, was graded as outstanding in February 2010.

Since then a new framework has been introduced by Ofsted, which places more emphasis on pupil progress rather than just attainment.

At Buttsbury pupils start at age seven with high levels of attainment but by the time they leave in Year 6, inspectors claim they have not reached the levels they are capable of, particularly in English.

However, having just taken their SATs, this year's Year 6 pupils look set to do well, thanks to measures such as one-to-one tuition, before-school booster classes, and Easter holiday revision sessions.

Heather Stuart, Chair of Governors, said: "Because the assessment is based on the school's performance over the two years since becoming an academy, the improvements that Mrs Robinson has made in the last term-and-a-half could have little impact on the Ofsted ratings.

"However, parents, staff and governors are well aware of the positive impact of her dedicated leadership and the governors are in no doubt that she can continue this progress."

Inspectors were impressed with pupils' attendance, behaviour, safety and their attitudes to learning, and gave them a level two, good rating.

They noted in their report: "With these positive attributes and qualities, pupils' progress should be much better than it has been in recent years."

The school will be inspected gain within the next two years, and both Mrs Robinson and Mrs Stuart are confident it will be then be graded as 'good'.

TONY Gudgeon, the much-loved chief executive of Chelmsford Star Co-op, has retired after 15 years of service with the supermarket giant that has served the community for 146 years.

He leaves the business with a turnover of £94 million and over 40 stores across the county, and a lifetime achievement award.

But when the father-of-three first took the helm at the Co-operative organisation, it was not in such a healthy position.

"We weren't prospering when I came in; there were challenges and things to be done," he told the Chronicle.

"Over that period we have transformed ourselves into a thriving business. We had reached crisis point and nearly had to merge with the largest Co-op."

Despite this perilous position he was undaunted in the new role and took a bold approach to solving the problems, having already worked for the Co-op movement for some 35 years, now 50 in total.

"As we were already a small business there was only a limited amount of efficiencies we could make, what it needed was to grow the business with a clear strategy and vision.

"People were saying 'you can't do that, it won't work' and doubted that we'd survive, but this approach worked in the long run."

Initially training as an accountant, Mr Gudgeon has worked in the Co-operative movement since leaving school, but made the switch to management on arrival in his Chelmsford post in 1998.

"I have had a good time and as a company we have come a long way. I'm very pleased that the number of people employed here has increased in the time I've been here.

"The number of supermarkets we have has gone from 15 to 44 and I'm very positive about future growth.

"But I'm probably just as pleased about our projects in the community."

Co-operatives come in different forms across the country, with the largest and most well-known in the country beginning in Rochdale.

Chelmsford Star exists separately to this movement.

Founded in 1867 it now has department stores, food shops, funeral directors and travel agents.

Philanthropy is one of the key aspects of the business, and Mr Gudgeon sees this aspect as a crucial link with the community they serve.

"The majority of fundraising is done by employees. We have to practise what we preach," he said.

"We have to be profitable, but it's fundamental that our profits go back into community projects so they help the less fortunate.

"The more profitable we are, the more we can do.

"Our whole focus is to benefit the community of Essex. Many people shop with us and support us because of what we stand for and what we put back into the community. It brings something different to retail.

"Members choose who they wish to be directors; it gives them a stake in the business.

"Schemes like the Community Card scheme and initiatives to get unemployed people and offenders back to work, we also promote trade in Chelmsford and recycle bicycles for Africa. They go mainly to Lesotho with the aim to help people become self-sufficient in three years."

The Community Card scheme allows schools and charities to give out cards that customers can then use in store to accrue points for particular local organisations.

A van has also been donated to the charity that drives around the county collecting bikes to recycle.

"When you come up with something that actually works and does what you hoped it would, it's quiet gratifying," he said. "I'm really pleased that the transition from my era to the next has been smooth and entirely by internal development and promotion, we have a strong culture of bringing people on.

"That way they are committed to our way of doing things. The new chief executive Barry Wood started on the shop floor, he's Essex born and bred, we like to bring people through internally, that way they are brought up on the culture of the business and will keep the spirit going.

"You need to have a talented management team. There's no gender bias at all and in fact there are more women on the management team and the board is 50-50."

Gender balance and a family atmosphere is also an important feature of the co-operative culture.

"It's like a family business, everyone is on first names, and there are no titles amongst the employees. The board of directors have been very supportive; it's been a privilege to work for them."

But Mr Gudgeon's time in Chelmsford has not been completely happy. Not long after arriving at Chelmsford Star in 1998 his 16-year-old son died after taking medication prescribed following a fall from a horse.

"It was very difficult because you're not attuned to it, you don't expect your kids to die before you. You just have to accentuate the positive in life. I think if you dwell on the negative, that's not a constructive outlook to have," he said.

Mr Gudgeon, who is originally from Kendal in Cumbria where his family still live, will be travelling back there on his retirement to spend time with them. But first he's off to America.

"I'm going to visit the Calgary Stampede – it's one of the biggest cowboy rodeos in the world and is a whole massive cultural festival.

"Then I will be returning to the Lake District after retirement, but I will be staying in touch because I will be retaining an interest in successful membership and make sure I will come to shareholders' meetings

"I've done my 50 years and I'm proud of the people I've worked with and all we've achieved."

PLANS to create up to 100 jobs at an air-conditioning firm in West Horndon have had to be put on ice because of its banks' lending policy to small businesses

That is the claim from management at CS Group, which employs 60 people at its headquarters at Horndon Industrial Park and two other sites in the south east.

Since September the company has been searching for extra finance to enable it to trade out of the economic downturn.

However, they have found it difficult to secure £350,000 loans from Barclays and NatWest, both of whom CS Group already banks with.

Chief executive officer Steve Kelly, who set up the company on his own 10 years ago, claimed his firm has found it difficult to secure loans from NatWest because they are wrongly classified as a construction firm – something which "scares them off".

And he said Barclays recommended they did not apply.

Father-of-two Mr Kelly, from Long Ridings Avenue, in Hutton, says he is "completely disgusted" that the banks, one of which is part-owned by British taxpayers, are not willing to help a local business to expand and create more jobs.

He said: "NatWest are the bad boys in my view because with them being owned by the people, supposedly – it's a poor show.

"We've got a good company here, we've gone from one person up to 60 people in the last 10 years and we've done that with no finance at all from the banks.

"We're just frustrated because we keep bouncing off a brick wall at the moment.

"We physically can't find a way forward to speed up what we're trying to do.

"We will get there eventually but it's just going to be another 10 years of struggling – come on, businesses need finance."

Both banks also refused CS Group's request to simplify their banking arrangements to have one overdraft facility across all of their businesses, rather than individual reserves for each.

During a recent visit to the firm, Brentwood and Ongar's Conservative MP Eric Pickles agreed there was too much of a "computer says no" approach among some major banks.

The local government secretary added: "It's pretty clear that we need this kind of operation to ensure that installations that were made a few years ago, that weren't as sensitive to the environment, are replaced by the state of the art – by what's been offered by CS Group."

A spokesman for Barclays said: "We are very surprised that it is being reported that we declined this lending application. As far as we're concerned we had informal discussions last October to discuss in principle a lending request.

"The discussions concluded that we would be happy to meet up again in 2013 and a meeting is currently being arranged."

A spokesman for RBS group said: "We are not able to discuss any case with you without the customer's written authority."

ESSEX REDBACKS suffered a pair of defeats to local rivals Essex Arrows – but the club was cheered by impressive performances by their U14 and U10 sides.

The senior side put in an improved performance against the Arrows, but the losses – 18-9 and 10-3 – leave them adrift at the foot of the National Baseball League standings.

Co-manager Vince Warner is eager to see a change in performances. "We shouldn't have lost both games today and we made some basic mistakes both while batting and fielding – our pitchers again did well enough to help the side but we couldn't pull it all together, which was very disappointing," he said.

"We'll go back to training with every intention of working on those details."

On Saturday, the Redbacks junior teams travelled to Richmond to take part in the Big Cook Out tournament.

Following their season-debut defeats to the mighty London Mets last weekend, the U14s bounced back with two huge wins against a weak Herts Baseball U14.

Adam Roofe showed fantastic control on the mound in Game One and was backed by a big home run from James Scammell.

Matt Scammell, James's twin brother, was the winning pitcher in Game Two, and James launched a three-run home run en route to another emphatic success.

The hitting was a huge improvement from the previous week and an impressive debut from Luke Moyler was one of a number of highlights for the Forest Glade Redbacks.

Manager Richard Crabb said: "After last week we got down to basics at training and really focused on hitting, which paid off.

"Both teams were missing a few players because of half term, but that can take nothing away from our performances, which were amazing.

"If we can repeat this and cause problems for the other teams in the division, there's no reason why we can't go one better than we did in 2011 and perhaps win a trophy this summer."

Across the field in Richmond, the Little Redbacks, the youngest members of the club, took to the field in their first proper competitive action.

Against a well-drilled Herts team, the Little Redbacks, only aged 10 and under, came out swinging and threatened to cause an upset, although were held to a 7-7 draw in the first match.

"Unfortunately, despite great heart and enthusiasm, they were only one run shy of repeating the result in the second game.

Little Redbacks manager Jamie Cairns said: "It was an excellent experience for the kids and I was so proud of how they stayed focused all the way through.

"When they made errors no one let it affect them and they bounced back and picked themselves up. It makes it all worth while seeing them out there playing and as we continue to grow I'm excited to be involved with helping these youngsters develop their understanding and enjoyment of baseball with the Redbacks.

"An extra-special thanks has to go to the parents for their support and helping throughout the afternoon and at training."

At the weekend, the Redbacks host the Southampton Mustangs in their last home game at Melbourne Park for a few weeks, while the Redbacks II are back to action against the Herts Raptors in Hemel Hempstead (both fixtures on Sunday).

The Forest Glade Redbacks U17 take on the Cobham Cougars in their first games of the season in Billericay and the Forest Glade Broncos U14 take on the LYBL Bulldogs with momentum on their side, again in Billericay, on Saturday.

IT HAS taken nearly two years, more than £50,000 and an immeasurable amount of determination, but seven-year-old Honey Lock has finally taken her first unaided steps.

Her family had feared that the Burnham youngster, who suffers from cerebral palsy, would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

But following a life-changing operation in the US, Honey has taken her first tentative steps without crutches or support – and much of it is thanks to the community who have backed her all the way.

"We were just at home one morning getting ready for school. I had turned away for a minute and when I turned back she had let go of the rail bars and was walking towards me asking me to look at her. I was just blown away," said mum Rebecca, who continues to campaign tirelessly for her daughter.

"This is the start of her new journey; our plan is that she'll be walking without help all the time at some point in the future.

"It's really thanks to the support of everybody in the community, we wouldn't be here without it – it's amazing to think what people have done to help our little girl."

Honey, a pupil at Cold Norton Primary School, had grown up unable to either walk or see properly until her mother heard of selective dorsal rhizotomy therapy, a surgical procedure that reduces tightness in the muscles but which – at the time – was only available in the US at a cost of around £50,000.

Determined that their daughter has access to the treatment, Honey's parents began fundraising. In late 2011 they flew to St Louis Hospital, Missouri, for the first time, followed by a second visit last year in which the seven-year-old underwent laser eye surgery.

"The work on her vision was really the turning point for Honey," said Mrs Lock, who also has a three-year-old daughter called Summer.

"It was the thing really holding her back and since then she has come on in leaps and bounds. She's able to try new things, and enjoy experiences she never could before – it's like stepping into a new world."

Honey is now working with specialist physiotherapists to improve her mobility and the family continue to fundraise to help meet the high costs of her condition.

"Just as an example of the costs involved she wears ankle bracelets for support which cost around £1,000 each and need replacing each time she grows a little," said Mrs Lock.

The family, who live in Dragons Close, joined other UK families in a similar position to successfully lobby Parliament for the introduction of the life-changing surgery in this country.

Mrs Lock said: "It's now been introduced in certain areas as a result of our campaigning though it remains a bit of a postcode lottery.

"I believe this opportunity should be there for all children with the condition to give them the chance of a better life – just like Honey."

IT MIGHT not be as old as the Bayeaux Tapestry but this 83-year-old work nevertheless caused a stir when it was returned to the school where it was made.

The crest was woven by former Brentwood School pupil Harold Holmes in 1930.

Mr Holmes's nephew, John Holmes, from Bristol, had been hanging the work in his hallway for years.

The tapestry celebrates Brentwood School and its founder Sir Antony Browne, the Lord Chief Justice, who acquired the land on which it was built in 1557.

The Latin word "incipe", meaning "to begin", appears on the textile. The word was added to the school motto "Virtue, Learning and Manners and Incipe" in the 19th century.

Headmaster Ian Davies said the tapestry's return came out of the blue.

He said: "I am so impressed that Mr Holmes took the time and effort to drive from Bristol to return the beautiful tapestry to Brentwood.

"It is a most unusual and very carefully constructed work of art which will be displayed proudly after it has been cleaned and re-framed"

The donation will soon be homed in the archive room in the new resource centre currently under construction.

Now the school is on the look-out for more historical items to add to its current collection.

Top of the wish-list is the Allden Cup.

The silver trophy was donated by Tom Allden in 1983 to be awarded to for "the most meritorious result on the track by a senior boy".

Alumni officer Lucy Rowe told the Gazette: "It's an ongoing search for lost memorabilia and we're hoping to be able to put these fantastic items on display."

If you can help Brentwood School's search call 01277 243243 or send an e-mail to headmaster@brentwood.essex.sch.uk

STINKING sewage seeped through the floor of a newsagent's shop in Brentwood High Street – and cooking fat blocking the sewers was to blame.

Rajan and Mangala Jhanjee, who have owned Paradise Stores for 13 years, were shocked to discover rancid smelling water seeping through the floor directly below where they keep their pick and mix and other confectionery.

Mr Jhanjee told the Gazette: "Customers complained of the stench.

"I switched on the air conditioning and lit joss sticks to try to get rid of it."

Mrs Jhanjee added: "The smell was awful and we could not work out where it was coming from.

"I have spoken to Environmental Health and no-one can help me.

"I can still smell it."

The 130-year-old store, is the oldest on Brentwood High Street and has always been a tobacconist and confectioners.

Mr Jhanjee said: "We rely on our regular customers.

"When I first arrived here we had a 91-year-old who said he had used the shop since he was a boy.

"We currently have a family of four generations who always buy from here too."

He added: "We do not need this kind of problem in the shop."

A spokesman for Thames Water said: "A CCTV investigation was carried out in Brentwood High Street and it showed that sewer pipes had become blocked with fat.

"We used a jet hose to clear the blockage but the sewers need a more thorough clean to help them run freely."

He added: "We are arranging with the customer for the most convenient time to carry this out. Fat should never be put down the drains as it congeals into disgusting fatbergs that block our sewers."

IT HAS taken nearly two years, more than £50,000 and an immeasurable amount of determination, but seven-year-old Honey Lock has finally taken her first unaided steps.

Her family had feared that the Burnham youngster, who suffers from cerebral palsy, would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

But following a life-changing operation in the US, Honey has taken her first tentative steps without crutches or support – and much of it is thanks to the community who have backed her all the way.

"We were just at home one morning getting ready for school. I had turned away for a minute and when I turned back she had let go of the rail bars and was walking towards me asking me to look at her. I was just blown away," said mum Rebecca, who continues to campaign tirelessly for her daughter.

"This is the start of her new journey; our plan is that she'll be walking without help all the time at some point in the future.

"It's really thanks to the support of everybody in the community, we wouldn't be here without it – it's amazing to think what people have done to help our little girl."

Honey, a pupil at Cold Norton Primary School, had grown up unable to either walk or see properly until her mother heard of selective dorsal rhizotomy therapy, a surgical procedure that reduces tightness in the muscles but which – at the time – was only available in the US at a cost of around £50,000.

Determined that their daughter has access to the treatment, Honey's parents began fundraising. In late 2011 they flew to St Louis Hospital, Missouri, for the first time, followed by a second visit last year in which the seven-year-old underwent laser eye surgery.

"The work on her vision was really the turning point for Honey," said Mrs Lock, who also has a three-year-old daughter called Summer.

"It was the thing really holding her back and since then she has come on in leaps and bounds. She's able to try new things, and enjoy experiences she never could before – it's like stepping into a new world."

Honey is now working with specialist physiotherapists to improve her mobility and the family continue to fundraise to help meet the high costs of her condition.

"Just as an example of the costs involved she wears ankle bracelets for support which cost around £1,000 each and need replacing each time she grows a little," said Mrs Lock.

The family, who live in Dragons Close, joined other UK families in a similar position to successfully lobby Parliament for the introduction of the life-changing surgery in this country.

Mrs Lock said: "It's now been introduced in certain areas as a result of our campaigning though it remains a bit of a postcode lottery.

"I believe this opportunity should be there for all children with the condition to give them the chance of a better life – just like Honey."

STINKING sewage seeped through the floor of a newsagent's shop in Brentwood High Street – and cooking fat blocking the sewers was to blame.

Rajan and Mangala Jhanjee, who have owned Paradise Stores for 13 years, were shocked to discover rancid smelling water seeping through the floor directly below where they keep their pick and mix and other confectionery.

Mr Jhanjee told the Gazette: "Customers complained of the stench.

"I switched on the air conditioning and lit joss sticks to try to get rid of it."

Mrs Jhanjee added: "The smell was awful and we could not work out where it was coming from.

"I have spoken to Environmental Health and no-one can help me.

"I can still smell it."

The 130-year-old store, is the oldest on Brentwood High Street and has always been a tobacconist and confectioners.

Mr Jhanjee said: "We rely on our regular customers.

"When I first arrived here we had a 91-year-old who said he had used the shop since he was a boy.

"We currently have a family of four generations who always buy from here too."

He added: "We do not need this kind of problem in the shop."

A spokesman for Thames Water said: "A CCTV investigation was carried out in Brentwood High Street and it showed that sewer pipes had become blocked with fat.

"We used a jet hose to clear the blockage but the sewers need a more thorough clean to help them run freely."

He added: "We are arranging with the customer for the most convenient time to carry this out. Fat should never be put down the drains as it congeals into disgusting fatbergs that block our sewers."