CRAIG EDWARDS remains confident of his side's chances of avoiding the drop as they prepare for a crucial month of fixtures.

Billericay are in action nine times in March – six of them at New Lodge – and Edwards knows things can change very quickly at the foot of the Blue Square Bet South table.

"It is going to be a big month," he said. "We go Tuesday, Saturday every week, and if you have a good week and win Saturday, Tuesday and then Saturday, all of a sudden you're up the top of the table.

"We played Eastleigh about six weeks ago and they were second bottom. They gave us a bit of a hiding (5-0) and I thought they were a very good side, and they went up to sixth. They lost on Saturday and went down to seventh but that's what they can do in six weeks."

Edwards' men were due to be in action last night (Tuesday) with a tricky trip to in-form Dorchester, another side who Edwards views as an inspiration to his struggling side.

He added: "Dorchester have been in the bottom three all season. I read their report on Saturday then looked at the table and I'm expecting them to be 15th or 16th, but they're up to eighth on the back of a few wins, so it can change very, very quickly."

The Blues slipped to a third successive defeat on Saturday when a stoppage-time penalty from Danny Waldren gave Bromley a 3-2 win at New Lodge.

And after making the long trip to the south coast to face Dorchester, they are back on the road on Saturday when they travel to Basingstoke.

"They are two tough games," Edwards added. "But win, lose or draw that won't decide whether we stay up.

"We'll go out there and give it our best shot like we always do.

"We always knew it was going to be tough this year in this league and unfortunately with falling behind with the weather, we've dropped into the bottom three and that's coincided with a bad run and not being able to get out of the bottom three.

"We've got a long way to go, we've got two tough away games this week and then after that we've got 14 games, of which nine are at home. Although we lost on Saturday our home form has been decent, so we're very optimistic that we'll get out of trouble."

Gateshead will again be without the services of young striker Nathan Fisher for the game against Braintree.

Fisher is struggling with a pulled hamstring and is unlikely to feature for another couple of weeks.

On-loan front man Liam Henderson could return to the squad after making good progress with the knock which has forced him to miss the last couple of games.

Former Hartlepool striker James Brown may retain his place up front after finally scoring his first goal for the Heed in the 4-0 win against Macclesfield last Friday.

Utility player Liam Hatch has been struggling with a slight groin injury and will face a late check while recent additions Ryan McGorrigan and Ben Everson are both likely to take places in the squad after joining on loan from Newcastle and Blyth respectively last week.

Defender Matt Paine will not be available for Braintree.

Paine was sent off in the 2-0 win against Luton in midweek and will now commence a three-match ban.

Striker Jordan Cox was recalled to the squad for the Luton game and may again feature while Nathan McDonald is likely to retain his place between the sticks as fellow goalkeeper Danny Naisbitt continues to recover from an ankle injury.

Midfielder Bradley Quinton is a long-term absentee with a knee injury but fellow midfielder Nicky Symons is pushing for a start after being on the bench in recent games.

Braintree have won four out of their last six matches and are currently seven points clear of the relegation zone.

THE National Trophy will be on display when the Leopards return to the Brentwood Centre to face Derby Trailblazers on Sunday (tip-off 4pm).

The Big Cats collected their fourth piece of silverware in 13 months with a thrilling 99-91 final victory against Tees Valley Mohawks last Saturday evening.

Coach Robert Youngblood poured nine points into the extra period as he scored the first five points of overtime and never looked back to win the one piece of silverware which had eluded the side last season.

Greg Hernandez won the MVP award with 26 points and 12 rebounds, along with two steals and as many assists as he played all but 38 seconds of the 45 minutes.

But the unsung hero was probably Carl Josey, who finished with eight points and nine boards, but locked down David Hanson, who had poured in 27 first-half points.

He limited the talented British youngster to just four points in the second half and overtime combined.

The win was achieved, despite the loss of captain Taner Adu with an ankle injury early in the fourth period, with the former England international finishing with 25 points and two assists.

Simon Cummings had 23 points, seven boards and six assists, while the player-coach had a season-high 15 point, 12 rebound double-double in 35:34 of playing time.

Hansen led the Mohawks with 30 points, seven boards and three assists while DJ Glavin added 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Youngblood could not hide his joy after the success: "It was a fantastic final, and a real up-and-down game, he said. "In the first quarter, we came out very strong, playing good defence and got a lead, but they were on fire in the second quarter, hitting threes from everywhere. We took the players in at half-time and got them composed and told them we had to play better defence.

"I put Carl Josey on Hansen and he really locked him up, and restricted him to four points in the second half and overtime

"We got together and started playing as a team and outscored them by 13 points in the third period.

"The fourth period was back and forth, but we lost Taner with four minutes to go and everyone was worried, but I told Taner we'd win it for him.

"Greg could have given us victory in regulation, but we were great in overtime and the old man [himself] stepped up and scored nine points in overtime.

"It means the world to me, coming back to coach at the first club I played for in this country and giving the fans the one trophy they didn't win last season. It was also great to give the trophy to the club owners."

A clearly tired Leopards team missing both Youngblood and Adu were unable to make it a winning weekend on Sunday as they went down 68-65 against Medway Park Crusaders at Crystal Palace.

BRENTWOOD-based funeral director Bennetts has chosen St Luke's Hospice as its charity of the year.

The 122-year-old family-run firm is already lining up a quiz night to begin bringing in cash for the cause.

The hospice, which is based in Basildon, provides palliative care free to patients suffering life-limiting illnesses.

Jane Bennett, the managing director of Brentwood High Street-based Bennetts, said: "As the hospice makes no charge to patients or families for the essential quality care they provide, we aim to donate funds raised throughout the year to this worthy cause.

"We have a quiz night in the early stages of planning, which we just need to confirm with St Luke's for a suitable date, so watch this space."

The funeral parlour has also put forward volunteers to help clean up the overgrown grounds at All Saints' Church in East Horndon.

Staff, family and friends of Bennetts have already begun clearing brambles and debris at the rear of the church that have engulfed the gravestones over the years.

On March 9, Friends of All Saints, the church's preservation group, has planned a community day.

Helpers are encouraged to dress in gardening attire and, if possible, bring secateurs, gardening gloves and petrol-fuelled cutting and strimming machines. The group will meet at 9am and tea, biscuits and bacon rolls will be provided.

Call 07525 867432 for information.

A COUPLE who run a social club for elderly people have been nominated for the Gazette's annual award that celebrates outstanding contributions made within our community.

Mike and Anne Bubbers, who run the Hutton Seniors Social Club, have been described as a "real lifeline" by Jenny Anderson, who nominated the couple for the 2013 Heart of Essex awards.

The couple, of Woodland Avenue, hold a weekly social afternoon for about 20 senior citizens aged around 80 at Hutton Poplars Lodge, which is run by the Brentwood Leisure Trust.

They put on small events such as bingo and raffles, as well as giving older people the chance "to get out for a chat and a cup of tea".

Mike, 77, who joined the Hutton Community Centre as it was called when he retired from the Chase Manhattan bank 20 years ago, said the average age now is much older than it was when he first volunteered.

His 75-year-old wife Anne started volunteering with the group, which meets every Thursday from 12.45pm to 3.30pm, about eight years ago.

Mr Bubbers said: "When I joined, the group was much bigger – it had between 60 and 70 members and the ages ranged from 65 onwards.

"But the group has got a lot smaller and the sort of people who took part aged in their 60s back then now have more money and a car and no longer want to do that.

"However, there are still people who are in their 80 and 90s who need us.

"The numbers are smaller but we are still pretty valuable."

He continued: "The problem we have is keeping it going.

"Brentwood Leisure Trust charges £40 for about three hours.

"It's OK when we have 20 people paying £2.50 but when the numbers fall to about 15 we lose money.

"Anything that helps us is most welcome."

Ms Anderson said: "I knew about the group from Anne, who I go to yoga with.

"When I retired I helped out a bit and I introduced my next door neighbour to the group.

"Anne and Mike do everything. He doesn't say it but Mike even cuts the grass for them. They are really worthy nominees."

The club is looking for volunteer drivers to pick up and drop off elderly people in Hutton who want to attend.

For more details about volunteering call Mr Bubbers on 01277 213083 or e-mail m.bubbers@btinternet.com

DOG owners are furious that an area set aside specifically for four-legged friends has been moved.

Huttons Courtyard Café at the Stables Visitor Centre in Hylands Park has been open to dogs and their owners since it opened in 2007.

But as of Saturday, February 16, it was announced that dogs were no longer welcome in the courtyard of the café, which also includes some small shops.

Lary Foley, 74, walks his Springer Spaniel, at Hylands Park three to five times a week. "This completely disgusted me," he said. "I went there and found, as most other people have in the last few days, that the courtyard has been closed off to dogs.

"The fact of the matter is that what they have done is without any consideration for the public."

After speaking to members of the management staff at the café, Lary said he was told that the reasons behind the decision were based on health and safety grounds.

"I totally agree that dogs in the area should be on a short lead but what they have done discourages us from using the café and their justification is totally non-existent. You do not arbitrarily impose rules on the public without asking them," he added.

Jane Dellar, 44, goes to the park every Saturday with her mother and two-year-old German Shepherd, Zach.

"We enjoy the park – and have done so for 30 years – it should be for everyone and not involve segregation," said Jane from Danbury.

"I often do not want to sit among screaming children running around, but I accept that when you are in a public place, this is what you have to put up with these days.

"Sadly, the same cannot be said for dogs and their owners, who make less noise and clear up their own mess and still get segregated. I think this really will detract from their business," she added.

Hylands Park said that a new extension area of the café called The Patio has instead been designated for dogs, but this has less than impressed customers.

"The new area is dreadful," said Jane. "There's a toilet in the courtyard but there are no facilities at the back. You have to tie your dog up outside and leave it out of sight, which no dog owner wants to do."

A statement released by Hylands Park said that due to the popularity of the Courtyard Café, a new seating area had been created that welcomes dogs.

"The new extension is situated to the left of the courtyard and is fully equipped with garden furniture, umbrellas and surrounded by yew bushes, which by the summer will offer customers a pleasant seating area," the statement said.

"Lone dog walkers will be able to use a buzzer to get direct access to Huttons.

"The Patio will be dog-friendly with bowls of water provided and a lead post.

"The courtyard will become a dog free zone for the comfort of all visitors."

MORE than 100 youngsters descended on Central Park to film Chelmsford's own version of the Harlem Shake, the dance craze sweeping the internet.

Alex Caviel, 18, mobilised scores of teenagers from the across the county using Twitter and Facebook after deciding to organise his own Harlem Shake event.

The dance craze began earlier this month when a group of Australian teenagers mimicked the choreography in the music video of the song by Bauuer.

It soon went viral attracting 16 million hits and is taking the internet by storm, similar to the dance craze Gangnam Style.

Alex, a sixth form pupil at the Sandon School, said: "I seriously was not expecting this many people to show up. I did invite 1,000 people and I knew I had 150 people who liked the event on Facebook so I guess I had a rough estimate."

Teenagers gathered outside McDonald's on Chelmsford High Street on Saturday where they waited patiently for the signal to start dancing.

But with no sound system, the youngsters swarmed through the High Street to Central Park's skate ramp, where Alex had arranged for a stereo to be dropped off by a friend.

"There have been other Harlem Shakes going around Essex but we thought we might as well give it a go too," said Alex.

"We've uploaded this film onto YouTube – it is really just another reason to get Chelmsford in the news for something positive.

"I literally made the event on Facebook, my sister got involved and shared the link and then from there people just started posting the link onto their Facebook pages and it spread.

"Youngsters get such a bad name these days, so another reason for doing this was to show that we can make a positive impact in society and for Chelmsford."

Among the crowds – where some dressed as everything from zombies to giant bananas – was mum Christine St Clair, 41, daughter, Karina Mercadal-St Clair, 14, and friend, Kimberly Ripton, 14.

Karina and Kimberly, who both go to Hylands School, found out about the event on Facebook and were excited to be a part of the video, which has since had 5,000 hits.

But mum, Christine, was teasing the girls and said: "I'm going to get into the middle of the crowd and take my top off," to which Karina said: "No, no please don't, I'm begging you."

Christine added: "The things mums do for their kids nowadays! I'm here now so I might as well get involved, but I'll stay at the back.

"I heard someone saying this morning that there were 1,000 people turning up, and the police were all going to come down and patrol, but it's just a bunch of kids having some fun."

MARK KING admits he is welcoming a rare six-week break from competitive snooker with open arms, but he is adamant he'll be firing on all cylinders when he returns for the season finale.

The 38-year-old qualified for last week's Welsh Open with a routine win over India's Aditya Mehta, but fell in the first round of the competition proper in Newport to Ding Junhui.

King has since enjoyed a week off but has returned to the practice tables ahead of the China Open in over five weeks' time.

He will face Mark Selby in round one in Beijing on March 27, followed shortly by the qualifiers for the World Championships, the last event of the season.

With time to alter his cue and work on his technique, Chelmsford-based King has vowed to do all he can to ensure he ends a mixed season so far on a positive note.

"I wouldn't say I'm happy with my season," said King, "but I'm not unhappy with it. Hopefully I can finish it on a high.

"I have Mark in China and that is really tough, but when you get to the World Championships, they are all really tough and every player is at the top of their game.

"I have been playing non-stop since May and to be able to take a week off is nice. Once the Worlds finish, we start again soon after so there is no real cut off."

King has claimed some high-profile scalps this year – beating world number eight Junhui at the Shanghai Masters and world number six Stephen Maguire at the German Masters.

However, he failed to qualify for the Wuxi Classic and the Australian Open, but the world number 31 admits he feels more comfortable than ever around the table.

King said, "At the start of the season I lost 5-4 in Wuxi and 5-4 in Australia, and got to a couple of first rounds. I went out of the top 30 to 32 and then to 35. Now I am back up to 31," he added.

"I have beaten Ding. I have beaten Maguire 5-0. I only just lost to Mark Stephens in Germany 5-4. I am hitting the ball better than I have ever hit it."

British Eurosport is the home of snooker, showing 19 tournaments this season including the World Championship, UK Championship, the Masters and all ranking events, available on Sky (410/411) and Virgin Media (521/525) or online/on mobile via eurosportplayer.co.uk.

"IT'S MARVELLOUS, isn't it?" said 82-year-old Phyllis Wielobob as she played an interactive "brain training" game for the first time.

"I don't think I should do anymore, I shall wear myself out," said the widow from Chelmsford, who stopped by at the Making Memories dementia roadshow in Chelmsford's High Chelmer shopping centre on Tuesday, which is encouraging the elderly to stay active in a bid to delay the onset of dementia.

"I have been on my own for 29 years so I do get worried about what would happen if I did suffer from dementia," said Phyllis.

"You get a bit forgetful and you go into a room and wonder why you've gone in there, although I don't worry too much about forgetting little things like that.

"I think when you reach a certain age and if you've led an active life then you can't worry about it because your brain has so much more information inside it."

Phyllis has had a hip replacement and cannot do much physical exercise, but experts believe it is vital to lead an active life in the battle against dementia.

In partnership with the North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which provides mental health services locally, Essex County Council has completed a research pilot which suggests that there are activities that could help delay the onset of dementia.

These include brain training activities such as Suduko and crosswords, computer games, group learning activities such as singing or playing music, origami, and physical activity such as walking or swimming.

Phyllis keeps herself busy by completing daily puzzles. She also runs the knitwear store for Farleigh Hospice's Springfield Support Group.

"I really think you should keep your brain active," she said.

"I write letters so that helps, and I do a puzzle every morning."

The interactive roadshows feature a Memory Bank which allows residents to record a treasured memory, as well as brain training word, maths and memory games.

Terry, 75, from Springfield, visited the roadshow with his wife.

He said: "We keep active and we are aware of dementia because so many people suffer from it.

"If there are simple little tests you can do to help prevent you from going down that road it would be very handy."

With the over-65 population in Essex expected to increase by 45 per cent by 2021, dementia is likely to be one of the county's most significant challenges in the future.

Councillor John Aldridge, cabinet member for adults' social care, said: "To me, this is a very major element of social care that is getting more important by the day.

"What we are seeking to do here is raise public awareness because it helps to enable people to understand dementia. We shouldn't be frightened of it – it's part of life.

"Once we begin talking about it people can understand there are ways to hold off its onset."

The roadshows are touring shopping centres across the county, while smaller information stands are also being set up in supermarkets.

Further information can be found at www.essex.gov.uk/dementia

A COUPLE have set up home in a new housing development in Brentwood after antisocial behaviour blighted their lives in London.

David and Alison Huntingford moved into Linden Homes' Burntwood Square in early January after deciding to quit the capital for good.

They had bought their new build home in the capital several years ago, although over time, their neighbourhood had changed for the worse.

The value of their home had dropped considerably too, with the result that they began to feel trapped.

Mr Huntingford said: "We wanted to move as soon as we could and I knew the only way was to try and find another new build home – perhaps there would be some sort of incentive that would make our move possible."

The couple came across Burntwood Square online and shortly after paid the site a visit.

David said: "We were very impressed with Burntwood Square. But I knew we had problems because of the low equity in our existing home.

"We decided to go into the sales and marketing suite on site and we had a chat with the Linden Homes' sales executive."

They were then put on to the New Homes Mortgage Helpline and before long a viable financial package – including a part-exchange scheme – had been put together for them.

Mr Huntingford said: "The part-exchange scheme meant that we didn't have to worry about selling our old home.

"Linden Homes essentially bought the house from us, freeing us up to buy a new home from them – and from then on our old house was their responsibility."

Within four months – in January – the family had moved into their new three bedroom mid-terrace home. "We are so pleased to be here," Mr Huntingford said.

"It's a really nice area, it's a lovely development and we've got lovely neighbours."

Sean Marks' 86th-minute header earned Braintree their fifth win in seven games with a 2-1 victory against Gateshead at Victoria Park.

Josh Gillies' fifth-minute corner presented Carl Magnay with the first opportunity of the game for the hosts but he was unable to beat Nathan McDonald from close range with a tame effort.

The Iron quickly responded and went ahead five minutes later thanks to Dean Wells who volleyed home Luke Daley's free-kick.

Dan Holman should have increased the visitors' lead but saw his drilled effort flash wide eight minutes later.

Anth Smith's men pushed for a late equaliser and made the breakthrough five minutes from time when substitute Ben Everson applied the finish to Jamie Chandler's cross to record his first goal for the Heed.

The away side were to have the final say however when, just a minute later, Marks rose highest to nod in Daley's right-wing cross and ensure Gateshead slipped into the relegation zone.

A WOMAN was cut free from her car by fire crews after her vehicle and two others collided.

Fire crews were called to the scene of the three-car collision at the Oak Corner roundabout in Woodham Mortimer on the A414 yesterday (Saturday, March 2) at 11.12am.

They used specialist cutting equipment to cut the woman free before leaving her in the care of the ambulance service.

A 46-year-old woman from Colchester has been arrested in connection with an incident in which she and her three fellow diners failed to pay for their expensive meal.

They consumed food and drink to the value of £520 and left without making any attempt to pay for the meal.

She was bailed until April pending further enquiries.

VOLUNTEERS who gave food and shelter to the victims of a suspected arson attack in Grays have been praised by detectives.
Eighteen people were evacuated to safety when a fire ripped through a row of four terraced homes in London Road in the early hours of Saturday morning (March 2).

Chief Insp Ben Hodder, the Thurrock district commander, said: "The community spirit shown in the wake of the fire has been incredible and we would like to thank all those volunteers who helped people evacuated from their homes and also provided refreshments and facilities for members of the emergency services."

He added: "I would especially like to thank staff at The Ship pub which opened to take in evacuated people who initially had nowhere to go on a freezing cold night, the Red Cross volunteers who were on scene to help the people who lost their homes, the local church and many other local residents who helped in any way they could. Their help was invaluable and went a long way to reducing the despair of the people who lost everything in the fire."

They also want to hear from witnesses who might have seen anyone running away after a fire was started outside one of the affected properties.