THE prayers of Brentwood churchgoers, who have endured years of soaking sermons, were finally answered when the vicar at St Thomas' Church climbed onto the roof and secured the last replacement tile.

Mops and buckets have been the must-have accessory for the congregation at the 160-year-old Anglican church since 2001, with the slate roof being more holey than holy.

Over the years carpets and furniture have been destroyed when the heavens opened, leaving the church with its fair share of drenched brides and wet funerals.

The huge 12-year rally round has mustered a total of £355,000, which was needed to replace the decrepit 90,000 tile roof.

In November the church got in touch with the Gazette and a bit of publicity had readers digging deep for a final push for the remaining £20,000 required.

"Absolutely amazing" is how Fr Colin Hewitt, the parish vicar, described the effort, generosity and commitment of the Brentwood community at large.

It was his privilege to place a golden tile (not real gold), a gift from a church group in Roth, Germany, which is twinned with Brentwood, to mark the end of the renovation.

"Most of it was raised locally by our congregation and mistakenly people think the Church of England is funded by the Government but that's not the case," he said.

"But it was local people, local businesses and building charities that helped us succeed.

"Over those 12 years we have had all sorts of activities, concerts, fetes and imaginative events like the Teddy Bear Jump, which was very popular.

"I want to give a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has helped us.

"Comparatively it's not the most exciting of tasks because in that time we have also had to restore the bells and the organ at £140,000 and people can see and hear those things, so the roof was a very hard task but a necessary one."

The latest phase, which finished earlier this month, was one of 12 separate replacement works, which were completed from north to south.

On top of the hallowed building is a new state-of-the-art alarm system and the cash has also been used to restore timber work and mend the roof's structure.

Fr Colin says the church's next big building project is to work on the people using the church.

He added: "I've had people say 'why are you keeping this monument open?'

"I think it's an important reminder of our forefathers, a reminder of how our town has developed, and it's so important that it's kept open for the community to visit."

A VIOLENT gang who robbed London jewellery shops and buried their loot in the hope police would not trace them have been jailed for a combined total of 82 years.

The ten members of the Romanian gang were sentenced at the Old Bailey on March 28 for stealing more than £1 million worth of jewellery in seven raids carried out over a period of six months.

The crooks had been using waste ground next to the A12 in Romford as a base for their hit-and-run raids, in which they often used sledgehammers to smash their way into jewellery cabinets before escaping.

The gang targeted Asian jewellers, stealing mostly 22 carat gold items and often escaping via nearby railway lines before hiding the loot in pre-dug holes.

Although an estimated £1,165,381.83 worth of goods was stolen, only some of this has been recovered.

The court heard how in the first attack a man claiming to be a customer rang the bell to enter a jewellery shop on Ealing Road, Wembley, on March 28, 2012.

As he gained entry he held the door open to allow nine males wearing hooded tops, scarves and balaclavas to enter.

Wielding hammers and axes they threatened staff and smashed display cabinets, filling bags with jewellery before setting the owner's car alight and fleeing.

As the gang fled with more than £500,000 worth of gold they began to discard their clothing.

The police were called and Romanian Alexandru Pavaluca, 23, was arrested and later convicted, receiving seven years and six months' in jail.

The rest of the gang escaped along a nearby railway line.

Eight days later, they raided a shop in High Road, Seven Kings.

All five men involved fled through pre-cut holes in a fence onto the railway line with more than £200,000 worth of items.

The gang then changed clothes before going back through the fence and onto the main road.

A police search unearthed the loot which had been hidden in trenches and covered by soil.

On August 25 they relieved a shop on Green Street, East Ham, of £300,000 worth of jewellery.

The gang were eventually arrested after a robbery on a jewellers on Turnpike Lane, Tottenham, on September 15.

Police officers, who had the gang under surveillance, moved in after the gang removed £64,000 worth of gold items, but not before an elderly customer was pushed to the floor by one of the gang members.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Corner said: "I hope these convictions demonstrate our commitment to pursue those who intend on committing offences such as these."

The sentences are as follows:

Puit Danut Paunescu, 26, got seven years, three months

Vasile Alexandru Bataraga, 23, got nine years, four months

Iulian Roman, 21, got nine and a half years

Ioan Gavrilut, 26, got nine years, four months

Constantin Daniel Irina, 30, got eight years

Ovidiu Gabor, 25, got 7 years

Marius Andrei Barbu, 25, got nine years, four months

Gheorge Macovei, 23, got seven years

Iulian Culba, 22, sentenced to nine years four months

Catalin Paise, 19, got six years, nine months

ONLY time will tell just how important David Ijaha's last-gasp goal proves to be in the Conference South relegation scrap, as he rescued a 1-1 draw for Tonbridge Angels against Billericay Town.

It was a case of history repeating itself as it is the second time this season Angels have denied Billericay victory with an injury time strike.

The midfielder struck with the last kick of the game, firing home a sweet half volley, after Billericay failed to clear their lines. It was harsh on the Essex side who led through Glenn Poole's first-half free-kick and deserved all three points that would have seen them move level with Angels.

The first period was poor with neither goalkeeper really tested. Blues keeper Kevin Scriven had to tip over an early Frannie Collin free-kick that was more of a cross, while at the other end Poole had a couple of snap shots that didn't trouble Lee Worgan.

The best chance of the period fell to the hosts on 18 minutes. Worgan's long free-kick was nodded down by Mikel Suarez, but Collin scuffed his shot and it went wide.

The Blues took the lead on the stroke of half-time – Poole's free-kick from way out on the right flying over Worgan in the hosts' goal. And they should have made it 2-0 seconds later, Jay May's header was blocked and Omar Beckles blazed over the rebound.

The visitors had all the best chances in the second period as Angels looked increasingly bereft of ideas.

A Sonny Miles back heel in midfield allowed Alex Osborn to escape down the right and his cross was turned over his own bar by Anthony Sinclair-Furlonge. More slack play from Angels allowed May to find Osborn, but the striker was denied by Worgan. May then headed Poole's cross wide as Billericay continued to threaten.

Angels had little width and with five defenders on the pitch, created little as Chris Wild led the Blues defence superbly. Collin was their main threat, but his free-kick found the arms of Scriven, while a low shot didn't have enough power to concern the keeper.

Warrilow rung the changes, bringing on the more attack-minded Ashley Miller and Henry Muggeridge, but it didn't change things and Billericay should have added to their lead in the final quarter. Osborn cut in from the right, but Worgan saved his shot with his legs, while May turned the Angels defence inside out, but his effort was cleared off the line by Olly Schulz.

Then came the drama, five minutes into injury-time.

Collin's free-kick was cleared by Blaine Hudson, but Ashley Miller played it back into the danger area. The ball fell to Ijaha 15 yards out and he arrowed it into the corner.

It was harsh on the visitors, but Angels didn't care.

ANGRY residents in Crays Hill want to shame a church for planning to sell a community hall that has been a feature of their village for nearly 100 years.

After closing All Saints' Hall in London Road in late 2011, the Parochial Church Council (PCC) of Great Burstead has now put in a planning application to Basildon Borough Council to build two detached properties on the site.

However, members of Ramsden Crays Parish Council say the land and the building were paid for by residents and should be preserved.

They are concerned that the money made from the sale will not be used to build a replacement facility in the parish and that the investment ploughed into these buildings over the years will be lost.

Parish council chairman Andy Peake said: "We want to shame the church – they are not being fair.

"We feel we should have a village hall and we believe that the PCC has no interest in Crays Hill."

Under the terms of the conveyance between FHDC Whitmore, TW Bacon, W Bestley and the Rector of the Parish of Ramsden Crays on April 23, 1927, the land was acquired for the benefit of Ramsden Crays parishioners.

The 1927 document demands that any proceeds from a future sale are used for charitable institutions of the Parish of Ramsden Crays or for the benefit of poor inhabitants in the parish.

Mr Peake interprets this to be a reference to charitable purposes generally and not exclusively to those with a religious aspect.

Parish councillor Norman Flint said: "The land was given to the village by a villager.

"The money was raised by the villagers to build both halls and to maintain them.

"The older residents of the village always said that if the hall was ever sold off money would come back to the village."

He added: "Do you think villagers who had given their time to work on the hall would have done so if they had known the profit of their labour would have been spent elsewhere?

"I definitely would not have done."

Since the hall opened its doors in 1914 it has been used for a range of purposes including playgroups and Sunday school.

Villagers raised money to fund the construction of the hall and in 1928 they funded an extension to the building.

Over the years the villagers have continued to spend money on the hall.

In 1958, the inside of the building was redecorated and electrical work was carried out by Crays Hill residents Bill Hurrell and Brian Patmore.

In 1963 a toilet block was built and the plumbing work was carried out – this time by Mr Flint.

The money for this was raised by a mock auction at Crays Hill Cricket Club among other fundraising activities.

When a new roof was built in 1991, villagers collected £11,000 over ten years to pay for it.

Yet again, a villager stepped in and secured a grant when the toilets needed modernising and a kitchen was installed at the cost of £18,500.

"In my opinion, at today's values, the villagers have put £100,000 into building and maintaining the hall," Mr Flint said.

He said he believes that the PCC has used the wording of the conveyance to blur the meaning of the word parish.

"The Great Burstead PCC in my opinion has muddied the water in their favour by referring to the ecclesiastical parish of Ramsden Crays," Mr Flint said.

"The 1927 conveyance refers to the future sale proceeds being used for charitable institutions of the parish Ramsden Crays or for the benefit of poor inhabitants of the parish."

A PCC spokesman said: "We have of course taken proper legal advice and we have shared this with Ramsden Crays Parish Council so that they have all the answers to the queries that you raise."

THE Beatles famously sang All You Need Is Love – and for one Wickford couple who have been happily married for 60 years, this sentiment could not be more true.

Louis and June Curson marked their Diamond Wedding anniversary with a family gathering on Thursday.

They also received a congratulatory card from the Queen and will be holding a large party for all their friends and relatives at The Chichester, near Wickford on Saturday.

The happy couple, who live in Grange Road, are looking forward to welcoming cousins, aunts, uncles and other family members with about 70 people attending in total.

One of their sons will be coming all the way from New Zealand to make sure he doesn't miss the special event.

Mrs Curson, 79, said: "We've had 60 glorious years together. We met when I was living in Debden.

"I was 16 and was at the train station when the ticket collector asked to see my ticket. I said OK and showed him the ticket – he said he wasn't going to give it back until I went on a date with him. He was about 20 and it all went from this date.

"We were courting for about four years before we got married."

Mrs Curson then started working with a theatre group in Finsbury Park, London.

She recalled: "I worked with pop stars and film stars like Liza Minnelli at the Rainbow Theatre."

The couple have six children, 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren with a ninth on the way.

When asked what has kept their marriage going, Mrs Curson simply said: "Loving each other – that is the main thing. If you love each other, one can get through anything.

"We have been through a lot together and have always been good friends as well."

Mrs Curson added: "Also the children, they have been wonderful."

The couple met in Essex and then lived in London before moving to Scotland, living for some years in the Highlands.

"We have spent our later years in Wickford – back in my home county," Mrs Curson smiled.

Mr Curson, 83, said that their marriage had been so happy because of a lot of understanding on his wife's part.

He added: "And a lot of love as well as great family life. I feel sorry for people that don't have children.

"It will be lovely to see all the family again at the weekend."

A SILENT and solemn Walk of Witness in Brentwood has been hailed an incredible success, with more than 700 Christians turning out despite the prolonged wintry weather. Good Friday began at a packed St Thomas of Canterbury Church in St Thomas Road and finished at the United Reformed Church in New Road. At the halfway point on the procession, a small play about the sentencing to death of Jesus by the Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate was put on by students from Becket Keys Free School. Father Colin Hewitt, the vicar at St Thomas, said: "It was amazing, it was a massive success and the number of people was incredible. Someone tried to count heads and they lost count at over 700 people. "This was the biggest Walk of Witness for many years. "With the weather we thought 400 to 500 people would come, if we were lucky.

"To see so many people turn up must be a sign of the times."

He added: "The students of Becket Keys were very good, and everyone enjoyed their performance, which was brilliantly put together."

All of St Thomas's Easter events have been popular this year, with hundreds turning up every day.

Good Friday is one of the Christian calendar's most important days of the year and marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The Walk of Witness is often held in silence, with the experience being a very sober and peaceful walk.

The Christians taking part prayed silently and remembered the life of Jesus and how he died for their sins.

The march, which people from churches across the Brentwood area joined, followed a route through the centre of Brentwood, along the High Street and into Crown Street.

The sombre sight of hundreds of Christians could not have been more different to the hordes of fans of The Only Way is Essex who stormed Crown Street the previous week for the opening of Joey Essex's shop, Fusey.

At the end of the walk, when they arrived at the United Reformed Church, the silence was broken as they sang together in their hundreds.

ABOUT 200 determined Ongar residents braved the snow to clean up their village at the "Our Pride at Stake" litter pick on March 24.

The volunteers picked their way through snow-filled ditches retrieving all manner of items, including a pool table, a fish tank and a fridge.

They assembled at Moreton Primary School and split into teams, collecting litter from roads around Bovinger, Bobbingworth, The Lavers, Moreton and towards Fyfield and Ongar.

Eric Pickles MP stopped by to praise the community effort.

"It's fantastic that so many people have taken part," he said. "I'm really impressed with the turnout. In many communities, people say 'Why don't they do something?'

"In this village, 'they' means 'us'."

The endorsement was backed by Bobbingworth parish councillor Colin Thompson.

"This wasn't just about physically picking-up litter, but about leaving a legacy for the future," he said.

"The challenge was to ask ourselves, 'Are we content to live in an environment littered with rubbish dumped by passers-by?'"

More than 200 sacks of litter were collected in under three hours and the resulting pile was impressive.

The 180 volunteers exceeded all expectations of the group, which only formed three months ago.

Our Pride at Stake aims to promote a healthier and cleaner village.

They are committed to encouraging environmental responsibility and enhancing the community.

The organising committee devotes its time for no financial gain, relying solely on local generosity to fulfil its goals.

Since its launch, the campaign has raised £1,000, as well as received other donations such as gloves and rubbish bags.

The campaign is supported by about 30 local businesses and relies on them for support and funds.