BRENTWOOD TOWN manager Les Whitton is delighted with how his new-look squad have started their pre-season training programme.

Whitton is back at the Blues' helm for this season, and has revealed that things are in good shape ahead of their opening pre-season friendly with Little Oakley on Saturday.

He said: "We've had 38 players for the four sessions now and we're going to start to whittle it down this week and it's going to be difficult.

"We want to get them working well together and sort our formation out and hopefully we'll gel and go on and enjoy our season.

"I'm really pleased with how it's gone and the attitude of the boys.

"They know the financial situation. We're not going to have the money that the club has had in the past but we've got players here who want to play for the right reasons – the football reasons. Not to pay their mortgages, because that's not going to happen.

"They will get their expenses and maybe a little bit more on top, but they will play their football how it should be played, with enthusiasm, and I'm sure that we'll make them players, which I did with the team at Grays.

"They all enjoyed what we did there, the coaching side of it, they improved their football and made them like footballers should."

Whitton has brought a number of his old players from Grays with him to the club, and seeing them gel with the others at his disposal – including a handful of new faces – has given Whitton much to look forward to for the new season.

"I'm excited because what I wanted was the enthusiasm and the players who want to play football the right way and I've got exactly what I wanted.

"I've got a few new recruits, they're young and they know that they can play – they're not quite ready for the standard of the Premier or the Conference South.

"I've got three keepers to choose from and plenty of raw talent that just needs guiding and I'm really looking forward to it."

The Blues learnt the identity of their FA Cup and Trophy opponents last week, and the news was mixed.

They will begin in the FA Cup with a home tie against either Great Wakering Rovers or Halstead Town – both from the Essex Senior League – and if they progress, another home tie against one of four lower-league sides awaits.

And Whitton added: "Obviously it's going to be tough, they are at the top end of the Essex Senior League, Great Wakering, so I know that they're going to be a tough task.

"But we're at home and the way I'm looking at our team now I think they've got a good chance against teams in the Essex Senior League.

"Then after that it's another good home draw so there's a chance to go at least two, maybe three rounds in the FA Cup."

The Trophy will be an altogether different proposition, with a tie away to Hastings United, recently relegated from the Ryman Premier after last year reaching the FA Cup third round.

But Whitton is relishing that tie as well.

"That's a good game for us," he added. "They were in the Premier last year and now they're at the same level as us, it's a good trip to Hastings, we can make a day of it, get everyone together on the coach and go and see how we fare against a more established side.

"I'm looking forward to that one.

"We've got to test ourselves against those sides and see how far we've come, and then there's a home draw in the second round so hopefully that'll be fine."

A 72-year-old Chas & Dave super fan, whose home is crammed full of pictures of the Cockney duo, was given a front row seat for their appearance at the Brentwood Festival – thanks to the Gazette.

A fan since the comic duo started out 37 years ago, Janice White-Magson has a great affection for them and their work.

The pensioner, of Waterman Way, North Weald, over the years has filled her house with memorabilia and, on hearing of her dedication, the Gazette stepped in to get her to the festival.

Courtesy of a free cab ride from Treble Twenty Taxis, she was ferried from her home to the Brentwood Festival on Friday evening.

After she arrived at the Brentwood Centre, in Doddinghurst Road, reporter Joe Sturdy was on hand to keep her company.

Mrs White-Magson told the Gazette that she could not be more grateful. "I can't believe it, you have been so kind to me.

"I wish there were more people like you people at the Gazette.

"I have been a fan for so long and I have never seen them for free," she said.

"I have met them on loads of occasions though – they're very naughty.

"My favourite is Chas – he is amazing on the piano.

"They are both very talented though. I just still can't believe it.

"My favourite song is the Sideboard Song, it is really good and Chas is brilliant on it."

The Sideboard Song is off the album Don't Give A Monkeys, which was released as a single on August 26, 1979.

The song was in the charts for three weeks and peaked at number 55 on September 15, 1979.

Chas & Dave were the headline act on the main stage.

"It was a really good performance, they did all my favourites. " Mrs White-Magson said.

"I haven't been out all year so I am so thankful – it was so nice.

"The reporter with me was lovely and so was the photographer, everyone has been so kind to me.

"I really love Chas and Dave – they are so naughty.

"My house is full of pictures of them. They're in the lounge, the bathroom, they're everywhere.

"Sometimes people laugh at me when they come round, they must think I am mad."

Mr Sturdy said: "It was a great gig and the atmosphere was great. "Janice was lovely, a real delight.

"She even brought along a folder of pictures of Chas and Dave, she obviously has a place for them in her heart."

AN 85-YEAR-OLD dementia sufferer was "kidnapped" by Essex County Council's social services department – which then charged her daughter and grandson £1,300 for the unnecessary care costs she incurred.

Brentwood resident Martin Harlow and his mother Marian Harlow fought for nine days to bring Enid Parkinson home after she was taken into care – only achieving their goal after the intervention of local government secretary Eric Pickles.

Mr Harlow, 36, who works for a hotel booking firm, said of his grandmother's ordeal: "It has been hellish.

"My mum has been diagnosed with anxiety and I felt sick with stress."

Mr Harlow said his grandmother, who lives with his mum in Frayes Chase, Ongar, was taken into respite care at Ashlar House, in Epping.

He continued: "She didn't come home so my mother phoned the cab company who told her she wasn't coming.

"My mother phoned the care home and discovered that there had been an allegation of abuse and that social services had taken her into care in Loughton.

"The allegation was simply, 'my daughter shouted at me' and social services hadn't phoned to tell us."

Mr Harlow, who is also a special constable, added: "My mother has Power of Attorney on Grandma's affairs and finances and they were spending money without permission.

"I was away on business until Thursday and I came home to the news that my grandma had been taken away.

"I went to visit her at the Loughton care home and she was confused, claiming to have been there for a couple of weeks.

"Social services were helping themselves to my grandmother's finances and my mother has Power of Attorney – they cannot do this.

"We have now received a bill for £1,300 from Essex County Council.

"How can they kidnap my grandma and then charge us for it?"

Mr Harlow says he had a routine of taking his grandma out for lunch at weekends.

"It is something we have done for a while," he said.

"By this time we had been handed over to a third social worker.

"They said I couldn't take my grandma out, telling me not to fuss as "it is only two days".

"My grandma has dementia and a heart condition – she may not have that many weekends left."

Mr Harlow contacted Brentwood and Ongar MP Mr Pickles to try and bring his grandma home.

Mr Pickles said this week: "Martin Harlow contacted me, and I was most concerned to hear about such a distressing experience for him and his grandmother.

"I have written to the chief executive and the leader of Essex County Council asking for the full circumstances of the matter to be investigated as a matter of some urgency."

Mr Harlow said of the MP's involvement: "We wouldn't have been able to get her home without him.

"He took up our case and got to work straight away. By Monday we were on social worker number four."

A week after she was taken into care, Mrs Parkinson was transferred to a different authority.

Mr Harlow said: "I was livid and I was despairing.

"They claimed my grandma was a Havering resident despite her living in Ongar but this turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

"I met a social worker at the authority on Wednesday.

"She listened to my story and then, to my surprise, she told me I was right and that Essex Social Services had acted in a manner which was "disproportionate and unnecessary".

"She then told me I could take my grandma home.

"I took Grandma to Leonard Lodge, in Hutton, a care home she had stayed in before and in the reception we met the afternoon shift staff.

"All of them were excited to see her and at this point I broke down in floods of tears.

"Finally she was safe, finally she was away from social services, and finally she was back in our care."

Mr Harlow is pursuing a complaint against Essex County Council.

A county council spokeswoman said: "Essex County Council cannot comment on individual cases.

"Our Adult Social Care staff work within the Southend, Essex and Thurrock agreed policy and guidance in handling any concerns in relation to vulnerable adults."

A 92-YEAR-OLD wool spinner and a schoolboy's tin-can shooting range helped draw hundreds to a primary school fun day on Sunday.

Nine-year-old Dylan Moore raised £50 by offering his peers the chance to shoot plastic 'Nerf gun' pellets at targets on a wooden cabinet at High Ongar Primary School.

The fundraising total, which organisers hope will beat last year's £1,400, will go towards play equipment at The Street school.

Dylan's mother and chair of the parents' committee, Emily Moore, said: "It was so sweet of him and the kids to come up with the idea.

"He charged 50p a go and it was very busy all day, although my dad did help a bit."

The site also hosted all-day rugby matches in the 'arena', a bouncy castle, the wool spinner, an Essex Air Ambulance stall, the Essex Ferret Welfare Society, dancers from Dancemania and a wooden stocks for some human sponging.

"Unfortunately none of the teachers could be persuaded to get sponged," joked Mrs Moore, a 35-year-old mother-of-three, "although Miss Easter did do donkey rides which were very popular.

"The whole day went amazingly, very well, and in terms of support and atmosphere it was very good.

"It's our only event here and it gives the community an opportunity to come out in force.

"We've had grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends fundraising for new equipment at the school."

The committee has previously raised funds to go towards the school's outdoor play area, which cost head teacher Penelope Bennett and her team about £29,000.

Mrs Moore, who has been chairman of the 20-strong committee for two years, says she has no plans to step down from her role soon.

"Every year I say I will retire but I will probably just carry on and my daughter is only in Year 3.

"Yet preparing for this has been extremely stressful and it's had to tie in with work, with my children, and like everyone else on the committee, we have a difficult life – but if it benefits the kids, then great.

"Without this, the children wouldn't have play equipment which they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford."

Penny Bennett, the school's head teacher, said: "It was a great day, the weather was roasting and everyone enjoyed themselves.

"We went for a traditional feel this year with crafts stalls and raised £1,100, which will go towards getting more outside furniture so the children can enjoy the summer weather."

AN OFF-DUTY St John Ambulance volunteer who provided emergency treatment to casualties critically injured in a serious road accident has been praised by the London Ambulance Service.

Mark Hunter, 33, was on his way home from work on the evening of June 26 when he came across a collision involving a bus, a car and a lamppost in Harold Hill.

The accident had happened moments earlier and resulted in several casualties.

Police officers were at the scene but an ambulance was still en route so Mr Hunter immediately began to administer emergency first aid to the two most seriously injured casualties.

He said: "The police officer was happy for me to help with the car passenger who had serious injuries and was bleeding quite badly from his eye.

"Suspecting a spinal injury, I held his head still while the officer attended to his eye."

When paramedic Mark Heinsen arrived, he was relieved to see Mr Hunter.

The two work together in the Community First Responder scheme, a partnership between St John Ambulance and the London Ambulance Service.

First Responders are volunteers trained to attend 999 calls and provide first aid until the ambulance arrives.

The pair treated the passenger while firefighters freed him by removing the roof of the vehicle.

Mr Hunter also treated the driver, holding his head still until a neck collar arrived.

He then treated one of the bus passengers for shock by laying her down and raising her legs, which helps blood flow to the heart.

Mr Heinsen said: "This was a very frightening situation but Mark was calm and professional throughout, putting his first aid skills into practice in a potentially life-threatening emergency.

"Things could have been a lot worse without his intervention and it demonstrates how the confidence and skills he has gained as a First Responder can be so useful in everyday life."

Mr Hunter, who lives in Noak Hill, volunteers with the St John Ambulance Community First Responder Unit in Havering. Mr Heinsen is the unit's mentor.

St John Ambulance is campaigning to get more people learning the basic skills needed to save a life. It is also recruiting more volunteers for its CFR scheme.

Anyone with two years' driving experience with access to a car can become a CFR. No previous experience is required as full training is given.

For more information about Community First Responder schemes, e-mail cfr@london.sja.org.uk

ARMED with sun tan lotion, flip-flops and picnics, Essex has been basking in a heatwave which saw temperatures reach a sweltering 28 degrees C. Read the full weather forecast here With experts predicting another scorcher this weekend, it seems as if residents may be enjoying the great British summer for a few days to come.

Organisers of Cancer Research UK's Race for Life on Sunday, held in Hylands Park, was one of many events to benefit from the good weather – the hottest day of the year so far.

"Lots of spectators turned up to watch. We think there were around 12,000 people," said Vicky Woolnough, events manager at Hylands House.

Businesses also reported a roaring trade in summer essentials.

"The hot weather has brought a welcome increase across our food stores, with soft drinks, fresh meat, charcoal and firelighters all selling well, and Pimm's is also proving popular," said Stuart Hammond, head of food at Chelmsford Star Co-op's 37 food stores in the county.

Stallholders in Chelmsford market found sunglasses, fans and summer sandals flying off the shelves, and also some less typical items.

"We find garlic is a big hit in hot weather as more people are making salads and healthy dishes for the summer months," said Olivia Kingcock, of Steve's Wholefoods.

However, emergency services are warning people to take care in the high temperatures, which can be dangerous for the ill-prepared or vulnerable.

Last weekend the East of England Ambulance Service, which covers Essex and five other counties, received almost 5,000 calls – 1,000 more than over the same period a fortnight ago, with a rise in collapses being one of the factors behind the steep increase.

While the weather has been notably cooler this week, it is expected to rocket up to 30 degrees on Saturday continuing through until Tuesday.

The warm spell will fall a little short of the hottest temperature in Essex last summer – recorded as 31.5C in Writtle on August 18, 2012. Even this was far lower than the hottest temperature recorded in the county over the past decade – at High Beach near Epping, where it reached 36.7C on August 10, 2003.

A DENTIST told a young nurse to have sex with as many men as she wanted and offered to show her 'how it was done', a tribunal heard.

Raghuvir Patel allegedly made a series of sleazy remarks to colleagues, failed to wear gloves while treating patients, and failed to ensure instruments were sterilised.

Male and female employees had to change in a box-room at his practice at St Michael's House in St Michael's Lane, Braintree, and X-ray fluid was routinely disposed of down the sink, the General Dental Council heard on Monday.

Tim Grey, for the GDC, told how Saskia Tikasingh, now a qualified dental nurse, was bullied by Patel.

"Miss Tikasingh was a young trainee dental nurse when she began working at Patel's business," he said.

"She will give you evidence about life working at the practice but in particular you will hear from her that she is by her own admission relatively short and was repeatedly called and referred to by the registrant as 'shorty'.

"She will explain to you how that made her feel and you will hear that it was something that made her feel upset and felt was unprofessional.

"She felt it put her down," he added.

After Miss Tikasingh had split up with a boyfriend, Patel allegedly told her "You don't need a boyfriend but you should go and **** as many people as you like."

"He also said he would take her out and show her how it was done.

"She will explain to you how that made her feel. She was young. She will tell you and it made her feel put upon and objectified."

Mr Grey also told the panel about the working conditions at the surgery.

"There was a box room which both male and female staff were required to use for changing.

"There was no sanitary bin, just an open top yellow bin.

"Female members of staff were told to take sanitary towels home."

Giving evidence Miss Tikasingh told the hearing how Patel reacted when she said she had finished with her boyfriend.

"I was a bit embarrassed but I suppose I just laughed it off."

She said the dentist had made similar remarks to her 'about three or four times'.

Of Patel's clinical practice, she added: "He would use the same instruments the whole morning for his orthodontic patients."

Mr Grey asked: "Did he sterilise those instruments between patients?"

Miss Tikasingh replied: "No."

Mr Grey told the hearing another former employee Susan Hasley would give evidence about Patel's attention to hygiene.

"She will tell you that when she worked with Mr Patel she had concerns regarding his clinical practice, because he failed to wear gloves when treating patients on a regular basis."

Patel also allegedly shouted at his nurses and other employees, once screaming at Miss Tikasingh in front of a patient.

If Patel is found guilty of misconduct, he could be struck off.

The hearing continues.

DEAN HOLDSWORTH has told his Chelmsford City players not to be Twits this season.

The new City boss is implementing a code of conduct at Melbourne Stadium, and has asked the players not to share club information on Twitter.

Last season, winger Anthony Cook – who has been on trial with League One Colchester during pre-season – revealed on the site that players were awaiting their wages, and then announced his departure from the club, again via Twitter, citing a lack of expenses payments. Holdsworth is clearly keen to avoid a repeat of those sort of outbursts under his stewardship.

He said: "In our code of conduct, we will have an in-house policy that they can Tweet about their own lives, but what goes in at the football club is within the club walls."

Holdsworth's side began their pre-season campaign with a 7-0 defeat to Leyton Orient on Monday night, but Holdsworth was happy with his new-look squad after the first half – in which he fielded all of his new signings – ended goalless.

Trialists Matt Lock and Dean McDonald also featured in that half and, unlike many of those in the disappointing second half, they will be given another chance to impress.

"They've done very well in training and the game was another step in the right direction in their fitness," he added.

"I was really pleased with the attendance from the fans and the evening itself. We can build on that, we were playing against a very good team, some good players and in the first half especially I thought we were excellent in some things."

Midfielder Tom Davis earned much praise from fans for his performance, and Holdsworth was pleased with how the former Tonbridge Angels man did.

He added: "Tom's got a great engine, he's good on the ball and tenacious. I thought he was excellent.

"The first-half performance, there were a lot of good things going on there, more stuff we can work on with fitness, we were back in on Tuesday for training, so we need as many hours as we can get with them working with the players."

Lock and McDonald could feature again on Monday against Southend, another fixture that Holdsworth is looking forward to. "Hopefully, another big crowd will come along to that," he added. "We'll have a few new faces as well and players are getting fitter and stronger every session.

"I'm looking to bring in another four or five, if it's possible with finance. It might only be three but we'll see how prudent we are with our negotiations."

A PAPERBOY suffered a fractured skull when he was knocked off his bike in a suspected hit-and-run.

Lewis Hale, 16, of Glebe Crescent, Broomfield, stumbled into his kitchen at 6.40am on Thursday covered in blood and wailing in pain.

"He came in screaming and crying for help with blood streaming from his right ear," his mother Wendy told the Chronicle.

"I knew immediately he had a head injury and he didn't sound like himself, he just kept repeating himself."

Police have confirmed that Lewis, who suffered a fractured skull and an air bubble to the brain, crashed into a neighbour's stationary car – but suspect a hit-and-run driver struck him first and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Lewis, a grade A student and footballer, said: "I'm doing OK for now – they say the recovery is a slow process.

"I've had great support from friends who keep checking on me to see if I'm all right. But no, I never thought this would ever happen to me."

His mother, Wendy, said she, her husband Ellis, and youngest son Owen, 12, are "struggling" to cope.

"For the family and his younger brother it's been horrendous. We can't really deal with it," said the 46-year-old admin assistant.

"I'm told he'll be fine but I've also been told to look out for liquid running from his nose which could be coming from his brain.

"It's not going to be a normal life for the next six weeks. The worst scenario is he develops brain damage."

The Chelmer Valley High School pupil had just finished his daily paper round for Broomfield News, in Broomfield Road, when the incident happened four doors away from his family home.

A first response car, an ambulance and two paramedics rushed to the house.

The fishing enthusiast then underwent hourly tests while in Broomfield Hospital.

The family's holiday to Tunisia, which they were due to start yesterday (Wednesday), was cancelled.

Following the incident, Mrs Hale wrote an appeal for witnesses on Lewis' Facebook page, which has been inundated with supportive comments.

Broomfield Football Club chairman Andy Rutter, who recently asked Lewis to play for his Broomfield Blues under 18s team, spotted the statement.

"He's what I would call a club stalwart – very nice and very approachable and of course a great footballer," said the 52-year-old.

"I was shocked when I saw the Facebook statement. I phoned his dad Ellis immediately with my concern as both a fellow parent and as manager and chairman of the club.

"I asked him if there was anything we can do to help him. We wish him a speedy recovery."

Broomfield News owner Patel Fatish said Lewis, who delivers every day of the year except for Christmas, was an "excellent paperboy".

"It was very bad when we found out. My whole family went to his house to visit because he works so hard," said Mr Patel.

A police spokesman said: "At this time investigations are still ongoing as to the cause although police are confident that the paperboy did hit a stationary vehicle.

"At this time we are not ruling out the possibility that there was a third vehicle involved."

Anyone who was in the Broomfield area at the time or has any information should call Mel Warren on 101.

A CHARITY that supports children with life-threatening conditions has raised a record £159,000 at its annual summer ball.

Wipe Away Those Tears was founded in 2006 by husband and wife team Gail and Jason O'Shea and since then it has collected £1.1 million to help children and their families who are going through difficult times because of disability or illness.

This year's black tie event for 300 guests took place at the couple's home in Mores Lane, Pilgrims Hatch, on June 29.

As well as dinner and dancing, the ball featured a raffle with prizes including a meal to be cooked at home by a Michelin-starred chef, a Sugar Hut VIP experience, a ticket to see JLS and Jessie J in concert, diamond jewellery and a tour of Big Ben.

Among the guests was nine-year-old Daisy Palmer, from Langdon Hills, who suffers from the rare, debilitating illness known as Chronic Intestine Pseudo-Obstruction.

The condition means she has to be fed intravenously.

Mrs O'Shea said: "It was an absolutely fantastic event and we are really pleased at the amount that has been raised – to raise that amount and beat last year's total of £150,000 was brilliant.

"We had 300 guests who all really enjoyed themselves but this is for all those children who are having a tough time and we want to help as many as we can."

One of the most recent beneficiaries of the charity was seven-year-old Harrison Major who beat a potentially fatal strain of meningococcal septicaemia at the end of 2011 but was left struggling to walk after developing sclerosis of the hips. As previously reported in the Gazette. the wheelchair his family had was too big for him, but thanks to Wipe Away Those Tears, the Pilgrims Hatch youngster now has one that fits perfectly.

Mrs O'Shea added: "We have no cures to offer and all too often some of our wishes will end in sadness, but during desperate times when there seems to be no hope we aim to wipe away those tears and bring a sparkle into the lives of these special children, no matter how big or small."

If you live in Essex and think that the charity could help you, e-mail gail@ wipeawaythosetears.org and tell them how they can help, giving them as much background and information as possible.

For more information visit www.wipeawaythosetears.org

A MASSIVE free garden party is how teachers at a Springfield school chose to celebrate their school's 50th anniversary.

Pupils and staff past and present and local families are invited to celebrate The Boswells School's golden milestone tomorrow (Friday, July 12).

Headteacher David Crowe said: "We want to create a picnic in the park type atmosphere. The aim of the event is for people to come along, bring chairs and blankets and enjoy the entertainment.

"We have tried to ensure there is something for everyone.

"Entry and the live entertainment are free and then people can pay for any other activities they want to take part in."

From 4pm there will be non-stop entertainment in different zones on the school field, with the finale being a performance by a Madness tribute act closing the show at 8pm.

The entertainment stage will feature a range of dance and drama performances by the school's own students, community groups and local primary schools.

There will be performances from the jazz, wind and samba bands, as well as the schools' various vocal groups.

In the sports village visitors can try they hand at a range of sporting competitions, and be coached in an archery workshop. An inflatable village will provide fun for youngsters while Snakes Alive is bringing a range of reptiles for visitors to meet.

There will be a selection of traditional stalls, plus dodgems and a Ferris wheel, as well as a wide range of refreshments including a hog roast, beer and wine tent and ice-cream van.

The school will also make its first ever broadcast from its new radio station which is currently being installed.

Mr Crowe said: "As an expressive arts school we are always looking at ways we can offer more in this area and a radio station was a very popular idea when it was suggested to the students.

"There's so much we can do with this in terms of pre-recording chat shows, interviews and the 50th anniversary garden party is the ideal occasion to launch the station."

To celebrate the anniversary students can have a gold scallop embroidered on their blazer next to the usual red one. Pupils have worked together to produce a commemorative mosaic to be hung at the front of the school, and a design by student Jacob Ashton, 15, is being placed on mugs which will be sold throughout the year.

An alumni association has been set up and via the website Friends Reunited is tracking down pupils who were there when the school opened.

A number of the first pupils have said they will attend a reunion dinner tonight, Thursday, before the garden party.

John Burke, who was one of the first ever pupils at the school in 1963, said: "It was a time of great change. I think the school was quite revolutionary at the time. It was not a comprehensive but it was very much on that model.

"There was no corporal punishment for the first year but the head brought it in. I remember him announcing it in assembly with a cane on the table."

John now lives in Coggeshall and runs his own company selling engineering parts.

A RANDOM throw of a dart decided the starting point of a 2,500km cycle ride through the Baltic states for one former soldier who is raising money for the charity that cared for his mother.

Gareth Sell's last attempt to ride thousands of miles for charity ended in near disaster when he passed out in the Australian desert and was nearly killed on the road.

Yet four months after returning to Essex from that ill-fated Help for Heroes challenge, the former soldier will be cycling from the Finnish city of Jyväskylä to the UK to raise money for Barnardo's, the children's charity that looked after his mother when she was young.

Starting on August 4, he is planning to travel through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany and Belgium before reaching the UK two weeks later. Now working for BT as a cable engineer, the 30-year-old from Pilgrims Hatch believes he has fate on his side.

A throw of a dart at a map of the Continent decided where he would start his trip.

The Scout leader with 1st Pilgrims Hatch said: "I wanted to let fate decide where I would be going so I got a big map of Europe.

" The dart hit bang in the middle of Jyväskylä so that was good enough for me."

As for his choice of charity, he said: "I wanted to move away from the Army and military charities.

"I want to move on with my life now and I thought that raising money for a children's charity would be a good thing.

"My mum was looked after by Barnardo's, so that was a good charity to support. I'm looking at this challenge completely differently.

"I've learnt a lot since the last trip – I won't be carrying much weight and not as much food.

"I will be trying to get accommodation while I go but I will not always be near civilisation when I need to stop for the night, so I'll take my tent."

As with his last trip in Australia where he found love – however fleeting – on the road from Adelaide, he is not discounting a romantic encounter with an Eastern European girl this time.

He said: "I won't be looking for it, but you never know, fate is not under your control."

A TWELVE-year-old boy from Coggeshall will be joining dozens of other mini-jockeys to race Shetland ponies around Hylands Park as part of the Duke of Essex Grand Prix Polo event this weekend.

Children under 14 and below 5ft tall will be competing in as many as ten races, some with up to six jumps in a Grand National style event on ponies.

The competition, which raises money for Great Ormond Street Hospital, will be a warm-up for the main annual polo event held at Hylands Park, Chelmsford.

Oli Stammers told the Chronicle: "When I race I feel like a professional. The feeling you get is amazing and I feel good giving to children stuck in a bed when I'm out doing things.

"I've been riding since I was less than a year old, so I have had a lot of experience losing – and winning is a lot better.

"I hope I can win. I've got a good pony, so I think I can do well. The important thing when racing is to get a good start and not to get left behind, otherwise you have to push into the bridle. I try to do a Frankie Dettori jump when I do win."

The Honywood School pupil has attended the British Racing School in Newmarket for training and will participate in this year's summer's camp.

He has also competed at the East Anglian Point-to-Point, Fakenham racecourse and came second at a Cheltenham Pony Club meeting and won at the Suffolk Show.

Oli's mother Katie Fuller, 39, said: "We're so proud of him,. He's done so well and is such a good little jockey.

"Racing is now his main goal. He constantly studies the form, has the television on racing and studies fitness and feeding programmes to improve his pony.

"They have all the same equipment as adult jockeys – goggles, silks, and they parade the ponies around the paddock like the professionals do, so it's like a mini-Grand National.

"I want to give a special mention to his sister Lucy, who helps out so much with grooming and preparation for races.

"Honeywood School have been great too, as they've been very supportive when he's had to go all over the country for races."

Ponies can still be sponsored for the 'dinky derby' by going to www.dukeofessexpolo.co.uk.

IT IS costing the taxpayer £120,000 a year to keep Ongar War Memorial Medical Centre empty, the Gazette can reveal.

Figures show that NHS England is spending £10,000 a month on the £5.7 million building, which has been unoccupied for more than 12 months.

The annual outlay, obtained under a Freedom of Information request, is enough to pay the wages of five junior doctors.

The centre is empty because doctors working out of the surgery in Bansons Lane, Ongar, have been unable to agree a lease with the NHS.

Surveyor Derek Spring, of Kettlebury Way, Marden Ash, said: "It is disgusting that the NHS can waste money in this way. The old hospital was a wonderful building and to knock it down and let the new go to waste is disgraceful.

"The practice at Bansons Lane should have moved in by now.

"When I found out it cost £120,000 a year, it just added insult to injury," the 77-year-old added.

"Whatever the issues are between the GPs and the NHS, they can't be worth this wastage."

Dr Hugh Taylor, GP Priniciple at the Bansons Lane practice, said: "The priority is making sure that patient services are provided safely and I don't want to say anything that may damage this process.

"We had a meeting with NHS England on Friday and I can report that we are working constructively together in order to move in this autumn.

"We need to make sure that all the Is are dotted and the Ts are crossed and this is something we are working towards."

He declined to comment on the issue of empty running costs, saying: "It will not impact on the process of getting closer to moving in."

Town councillor Brian Surtees, of Bowes Drive, is also concerned.

He said: "It is a shame that the place has remained empty as it is obviously a well-designed, and high quality facility.

"I am nearly at the point of saying, 'I will see it when I believe it' but that doesn't mean I think everyone involved isn't working hard.

"There must be considerable stumbling blocks in the way but it will be a good day for Ongar and the surrounding area when it eventually opens."

A spokesman for NHS England was unavailable for comment.

At the time of going to press, the NHS had not provided a breakdown of how the £120,000 a year is spent.

MUMS in Brentwood and Ongar have been touting the well-known mantra that "breast is best" in a bid to raise awareness of their support groups and networks.

The infection-fighting, nutritionally balanced and all-natural practice has long reigned superior to formula milk alternatives and, with Breastfeeding Awareness Week taking place a few days ago, many have been pushing to raise its profile further.

Brentwood has played host to the Breast Friends Cafe at The Ark Children's Centre, Becket Keys School, in Sawyers Hall Lane, every Wednesday for around four years.

Abi Johnson, a Breastfeeding Peer Supporter at the cafe, has been involved since its inception.

The 35-year-old mother of two from Ingrave said: "It is very important for people to know that we are here.

"We are a place where people can get support and also help others. It is more than just practical information – but there is a social side to it as well."

Taking advantage of summer's arrival, Ongar's Bosom Buddies, a breastfeeding support group, held a picnic and bake sale at the Youth Centre, off Fyfield Road, as part of the awareness week.

Liz May, a Breastfeeding Network (BFN) volunteer, organised the event. She said: "It was great and we even raised a good bit of money for the group.

"The turnout was good and everyone enjoyed themselves. Breastfeeding and having a baby can be a stressful time.

"It is like trying to ride a bike from a book. Once you get it it's easy, but without some help it can be very hard to get the hang of.

"I have been volunteering with the group for over a year now. I got involved to pay them back for all the help they gave me. It isn't just a practical, advice-based thing.

"Mothers can often end up stuck in doors and these groups can get you together with other people."

The mother of one, who is also a member of local pressure group the Ongar Mums, added: "It is a social thing, you can make friends for life at these groups and I know I have.

"Being with people in the same situation as you can be a great help.

"Seventy-four per cent of new mothers in the UK initiate breastfeeding after birth so we hope that our support group, set up by the Ongar Children's Centre, will give mums in the area access to help so that they can continue in their choice to breastfeed."

The 41-year-old, of Landview Gardens, Ongar, continued: "Grandmas, aunties and new dads are welcome at our events.

"Women are much more likely to breastfeed for longer when they have their partner's support."

The groups are generally a mix of new mums and volunteers who have breastfed their own babies in the past and have had training in breastfeeding support.

Marie Lewis, NHS Health Visitor for Ongar, said: "Research shows that breastfeeding is the healthiest way to feed your baby.

"Mum's milk gives your baby all the nutrients they need for around the first six months and it's important beyond six months too.

"It helps to protect your baby from infection and other diseases, and as a mum, it also reduces your chances of getting some illnesses later in life.

"Breastfeeding also helps you and your baby to get closer, physically and emotionally, so while you are feeding your baby the bond between you grows stronger."

The Little Stars Children's Centre in Ongar is currently looking for the next generation of breastfeeding support volunteers.

Any prospective volunteer is given in-depth training of two hours a week for 14 weeks and is conducted by BFN supervisors with funding provided by Essex County Council.

For more information about the course and the open event on July 17, call 01992 575 175.

Also recruiting is the Breast Friends Cafe, who only ask that you have breastfed your own children and can give one Wednesday a month.

A DRESSAGE star from Brentwood is spending this week at the Junior European Championships after earning a spot in the GB team for the third year running.

Gaby Lucas, 18, a student at Writtle College near Chelmsford, even received a letter from the Queen congratulating her on her success.

In April, she was part of the four-strong team which won gold in Saumur, in southern France, in the Junior Nations Cup – the first time GB has won the title.

She was the second highest placed Brit in the competition, coming fifth in the time test, fifth in the individual and sixth in the music.

At the regionals, she was the youngest person to win at the Advanced Medium Open with a score of 70.6 per cent.

She trains on the British Equestrian Federation's World Class Development Programme with her own horse, Laurentius II, a 15-year-old Danish Warm Blood, which has won four different European championships for three different countries.

She has competed in six internationals with him, including the Junior Europeans in Switzerland last year, where she came fourth. She will hope to do well in Compiegne in France this week, with the events beginning today and finishing on Sunday.

She said: "I am really excited that I have been picked for the Europeans for the third time in a row. I am so proud of Laurentius and it just shows that hard work pays off.

"When I received the letter from the Queen I felt really proud and privileged that she took the time to write a long letter to me. It really encouraged and motivated me for the Europeans. I am the youngest person on the dressage World Class Development Programme, which looks for Olympic hopefuls and combinations.

"Only ten people are selected from the whole of Great Britain at each level so it is a huge achievement to be on the programme.

"They fund you for the competitions' training and give you the knowledge that you need."

Along with team-mates Charlotte Fry, Chloe Vell and Maisie Scruton, Lucas set off for Compiegne, 40km north-east of Paris on Monday ahead of the opening ceremony.

The competition gets under way at the ten-hectare Stade Equestre du Grand Parc with the team test taking place today and continuing on Thursday when the team medal will be decided.

It is then down to individual honours with two days of the individual test to qualify for a coveted freestyle place when the individual European champion will be crowned on Sunday.

You can follow the action on http://dressageeurope.compiegne-equestre.com/ or British Dressage will be on Facebook and Twitter with updates.

A RELATIVE of mass murderer Jeremy Bamber says he is evil and should never be free after a European Court of Human Rights ruling on Tuesday which could pave the way for his release.

Judges in Strasbourg ruled 16 to one that every prisoner had to have the possibility of release and that the whole-life tariff given to the murderer is in breach of his human rights.

Judges said that this does not mean that there was any 'prospect of imminent release.'

Bamber's cousin David Boutflour, 53, said: "At the end of the trial Justice Drake said, and I agree, that he is 'evil beyond belief' and he should never be released into the public domain. I have no reason to believe that he has changed.

"The memory of the people he killed remains dear to me and I want them to be remembered in the right way. My mother is 92, she shouldn't have had to go through all of this."

Bamber has spent almost 28 years behind bars after being convicted of killing his adopted parents June and Nevill, sister Sheila Cafell and her two sons Daniel and Nicholas at their family home, White House Farm, in Tolleshunt D'Arcy in 1985.

Mr Boutflour added: "I'm upset, all we want is some peace, we have to keep going over the issue again and again, it's like a bad dream. We can never just leave it be, we can never seem to let it go.

"I would be gutted if he left his prison cell. Who is to say that when he is released he won't do the same thing again? Who will keep the public safe from this man?" said Mr Boutflour, a farmer from Manningtree.

Bamber took his case to the European Court of Human Rights along with murderers Douglas Vinter from Middlesbrough, who admitted killing his wife Anne in 2008, and Peter Moore, who killed four men in North Wales in 1995.

The ruling means 49 killers serving whole-life tariffs have been given the hope of freedom, including Marc Chivers who killed Maria Stubbings in Chelmsford in 2008; serial killer Peter Tobin who murdered Chelmsford schoolgirl Dinah McNicol in 1991 and buried her in his garden; and Stephen Farrow who stabbed former Witham vicar John Suddards to death last year.

Others on whole-life tariffs include Peter Sutcliffe, Rose West and Ian Brady.

On the decision made Tuesday morning Mr Boutflour said: "I know there is a place for human rights in society and I feel that he gave away his human rights when he killed those five people, I don't feel he has any human rights left. How about the people he has hurt as a result of his actions?

"I do believe that some criminals do not deserve a life sentence, but in this instance Bamber has not repented in any way. What about the human rights of the five people he murdered?

"He should stay in prison unless he is proven innocent or he has served the time suggested by the judge."

Mr Boutflour, who has two sons John, and Caroline, remains confident that this decision will not lead to Bamber's release.

He said: "I'm sure the judges in this country will find a way of keeping him in jail.

"He took the lives of two small children, his mother, his father and his sister; if the legal system lets him out then they have failed the public terribly."

Bamber has always protested his innocence saying that his sister Sheila, a schizophrenic, had gone berserk with a gun. He has failed in several costly appeals to have his conviction overturned.

On his website, Bamber said the verdict was 'hollow, as I am still serving a prison sentence for a crime I did not commit.'

Mr Boutflour found a silencer in a cupboard at the farm three days after the murders, apparently with Caffell's blood on it.

It was key to the prosecution's case in the Chelmsford Crown Court trial that the drop of Caffell's blood on the silencer meant she could not have shot herself then placed it in a cupboard downstairs. The gun with a silencer attached would have been too long for her to turn on herself anyway.

Since then Bamber has attempted to discredit Mr Boutflour, describing him on his website as a 'beneficiary' to the murders.

Essex Euro MP and spokesperson on human rights in the European Parliament, Richard Howitt MEP, said: Although I don't have a problem about the right to have a sentence reviewed, this judgement does not and must not mean a right to be released.

"Jeremy Bamber still denies responsibility for the mass murder for which he was convicted. His lack of remorse by his own admission means there is no parole board who would release this man, nor should they.

"There must be cases where life means life and this is surely one such case."

Conservative MP Priti Patel, whose Witham constituency includes the farm where Bamber massacred his family, added: "This judgment is a victory for evil and those responsible for some of the most vile and heinous crimes.

"Life should mean life and it is a disgrace that Europe can overrule the decisions made by courts in this country."

"GET your strawberries here! Lovely ripe English strawberries!"

Shoppers in Chelmsford High Street have been greeting these familiar cries with cheers and rounds of applause, when children as young as four tried their hand at selling fruit and veg.

All the pupils of Oaklands Infant School, in Old Moulsham, had a go at calling out for custom at Cox's stall in the centre of the city.

"I think they have drummed up lots of trade," said teacher Jane Little, who arranged the visit to tie in with the topic of Healthy Me, which the children have been working on this term.

"We have been taking one class at a time to the stall every Friday afternoon, and all the children have had a go at calling out which fruits are for sale.

"It's met with a great response, with several shoppers cheering and clapping."

All the children also took £2 to spend on fruit at the stall, which they took back to school to enjoy.

The project will go towards Oaklands' bid for Enhanced Healthy School Status, awarded for extra effort in helping pupils keep well mentally and physically.

WELL-WISHERS gave 80 East London cabbies and hundreds of disabled school children a spectacular welcome on their annual charity outing to Maldon.

Wednesday marked the 61st year of the parade, which takes disabled children from the London boroughs of Newham and Havering for a fun day out.

A crowd greeted the arrivals in Maldon High Street before they stopped at Plume School for a spot of lunch before making their way to Promenade Park, where the children enjoyed a disco, face-painting and a gift from the organisers.

Chairman of the East London Cabbies Outing Ken Flemwell, from East Ham, said: "The whole day went very well again and the people of Maldon did as they always do and make us proud.

"Everyone was brilliant, the Conservative club made a very generous donation that will ensure we can keep doing these events, and the Plume School.

"It just feels good to give the kids a good day out."

Teaching assistant Gloria Hill, who works at Eastlea School in Plaistow, took charge of 20 children with wide-ranging disabilities, such as cerebral palsy and learning difficulties.

She said: "They don't get to do things like this very often so it was great to be able to take them on a trip like this.

"They all had a smashing time, it was so emotional to watch them enjoy themselves and we received a lovely welcome from everyone in Maldon.

"I've been going on these trips for years and it always brings a tear to my eye to see the crowd come down to see us and watch the children wave."

Essex police provided an escort to Maldon for the cabbies.

Mr Flemwell, 59, said: "Essex police were excellent, they really helped us get down there safe and sound."

In 1952, Charles Albert Flemwell, Ken's father, started the first East London Cabbies Outing with eight taxis, taking children with special needs from the East End to Maldon.

Over the years the trip grew in scale, taking children from various schools and specialist centres in the East End in a convoy of vehicles that in some years exceeded 160 taxis and specialised buses.

In 1984, Charles Flemwell became Mayor of the London Borough of Newham. He continued organising the annual outing until his death in 1996.

When Ken became a black cab driver he took over the reins from his father, forming a committee of London taxi drivers which carried on organising the day trips in his father's honour.

AN Essex farm has won the prestigious accolade of producing Britain's best banger after winning a national award last week.

The Wicks Manor's Farmer's Choice gluten free pork sausage won Britain's best sausage at the Meat Management Industry Awards dinner in Birmingham.

Fergus Howie a director at Wicks Manor, Tolleshunt Major, have been selling sausages, burgers and gammon from home-reared pigs for more than 10 years and received his award from ex-England goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

He said: "This award from the meat industry acknowledges the dedication and hard work of all our team who raise the pigs, work in the butchery, develop the recipes and sell the sausages.

"Producing great tasting products is key to our business but stockists also need reassurance about traceability which we can provide."

The annual Meat Management Awards took place July 2 2013, at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole and sets a benchmark for recognising excellence throughout the meat industry where home farm producers can compete with multi-million producers in the search for Britain's Best produce.

Wicks Manor Farm featured on the cover of last week's go!, which launched Essex Food & Drink Month. Will Watkinson