ALEX LYNN claimed two more podium finishes in the second round of the FIA Formula Three European Championship on home ground at Silverstone.

He also had a storming drive in the other race that saw him scorch through from outside the top 20 into sixth place.

The 19-year-old from Great Dunmow claimed the fastest lap on a recovery drive and has moved up to fourth place in the championship as a result.

Lynn, who won at Silverstone in British F3 last season, as well as during his title-winning Formula Renault UK campaign in 2011, had high hopes for success this time around with his Mercedes-powered Prema Powerteam Dallara.

Rain before the second qualifying session meant he started on wet-weather Hankook tyres. But an inspired switch to slick tyres enabled him to grab pole position from team-mate Raffaele Marciello, the championship leader, by the margin of 0.847 seconds.

Although Lynn lost a place at the start of race one, he soon passed Felix Rosenqvist for second.

From then on, it was a gripping battle as he chased leader Harry Tincknell all the way to the chequered flag where the gap was hardly ever more than a second.

After the race Lynn said; "Tincknell drove a very strong race and didn't make any mistakes. It's a good result, but always disappointing to be so close to victory and not quite there."

In the second race, Lynn was pushed off the track at the first corner and spun almost to last in the field.

Despite electing to use his older set of tyres in this race, he claimed fastest lap and was sixth on the final lap when he swept around the outside of Josh Hill at Stowe Corner.

The final race saw Lynn beaten off the line by Rosenqvist, and he dropped to third when Marciello got by at a safety-car restart. He then consolidated the position to take a comfortable podium finish.

The next round is the first of the DTM support events, at the German Grand Prix circuit of Hockenheim on May 4/5.

A PUB landlord who was cleared of breaking a customer's jaw with a baseball bat over an unpaid bar tab has spoken of his relief.

Richard Henfrey, landlord of The Carpenters Arms, Maldon, was found not guilty of actual bodily harm by a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday after a confrontation sparked by an unpaid bar bill in August last year.

Mr Henfrey, 54, said: "I feel really relieved. It has been a truly unnerving experience from the time the incident happened until now.

"I didn't know what to expect going into court. It all hinged on the jury and I'm just so glad they made the right decision."

The prosecution claimed that he had chased Karl Woplington and two friends armed with a baseball bat on August 18 last year after the three men had failed to pay the £11 bill for their pints at the pub in Gate Street.

It was alleged that the ex-Maldon district councillor had swung the bat, striking forklift truck driver Mr Woplington and fracturing his jaw, forcing him to take two weeks off work.

But Mr Henfrey pleaded self-defence to the charges of actual bodily harm, and possession of an offensive weapon, telling the court the three had "offered violence to him".

"It was a quiet evening. I had finished my afternoon shift and was sitting enjoying a pint with an old friend," he told the court.

"My barman informed me that the three men had left without paying for their beers so I went outside and called to them and their response was aggressive.

"They then made to approach me and looked very threatening, which is when I went back in and asked for the bat.

"One of the men then lunged forward as if to punch me and as I turned to protect myself I also brought up the bat."

The jury took just two hours to reach the not guilty verdict at Chelmsford Crown Court this week, clearing Mr Henfrey both of possessing an offensive weapon and actual bodily harm against Mr Woplington.

"It's been a massive weight hanging over me and my family, and now that weight has been lifted," said the publican, who suffers from a tremor, a chronic lung disorder, and osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint condition.

"My wife has had to remortgage our house to pay for the defence legal bills and, even if we can recover some of that, it will have cost some thousands of pounds.

"Thanks go to my barrister Janick Fielding for a very thorough defence, and all my customers who have supported me.

"There were certainly a few glasses raised after the verdict."

CHANNELS Golf Club enjoyed a busy week, starting with the Ladies bronze team playing in the first of this year's county competition.

This produced a 6-1 win for Channels with the only loss coming at the first extra hole, the 19th.

Captain Jenny Humphries, had started off well with a 5-4 win, Jenny Wheelhouse lost out at the 19th while Karen Whale had hung on to win her game at the 20th hole.

The senior gentlemen travelled to Ilford for the Seniors Team Championship, and after a slow start ran out 6-5 winners, with Nigel Cutmore, Denys Humphries, Mike Robinson, Alan Dillon and Mike Esworthy winning their games, and crucial halves from Bill Dunbar and Mike Steen.

But the Mail on Sunday team went down 4-1 at Lords of Rayleigh, Robinson the only winner.

At the club, the Thursday Ladies Medal was won by Lynn Fazzani, ahead of Jane Malins and Pam Pamphilon, who beat Jackie Thompson for third on countback.

Jordan Lee won the juniors' Vic Howell Shiled, ahead of Joshua Cardy and Matthew Poulton, while the Millennium Trophy was won by Jamie Moore with 38 points, beating both Mark Smith and Lee Wilkinson on countback. The Ladies' April Weekend Medal was won by Ann Malyon, with Elaine Packer beating Humphries to second on countback.

AT Regiment Way, the winter league final was played as a bogey competition and was won by Charlie and James Dodds.

Michael Wallard and Brian Reeves were second, with Mary Allison and Peter Crabtree third.

The Midweek Monthly Medal was won by Michael Franks ahead of Colin Harmer and Rob Webb, while Joseph Hemley-Tucker was the Junior Spring Stableford champion, beating Harry Crocker and Matthew Best.

A non-handicap competition for the real young beginners was won by Zak Bourne with Luke Pearson coming in second.

The club also competed for the April Monthly Medals.

The ladies winner was Angela West, ahead of Helen Murray and Jill Thwaites, while Franks won the mens' event ahead of Lee Worwood and Lawrence Crossman.

FORRESTER PARK recorded excellent wins over Wanstead and Colne to reach the second round of both the Norman Plum and the Essex Seniors Team Championship.

The Easter mixed competition – an American greensomes – was won by Juliet and Jeremy Harvey, with Maria and Paul Kelly second ahead of Eric and Irene Hoffman on countback.

The ladies' April medal, incorporating the Dyer Cup, was won by Margaret Triston ahead of Juliet Harvey and Colette Kingswell. The second division prize went to Toni Powell, and Jo Dixon won the third division.

The vets' April medal saw some low scores and the gold division was won by Trevor Baines ahead of Steve Badjonat and George Poulter.

TAXPAYERS are paying for a single mother and her nine-month-old baby to stay in a three-star hotel after they were made homeless.

Lisa Bowman, who was evicted from her flat two weeks ago, is being forced to stay at the £60-a-night Miami Hotel. Chelmsford City Council cannot find her alternative accommodation, because there are already more than 4,000 people waiting for a home locally.

The authority expects that changes to the welfare system, introduced this month by the Government, will force more families from their homes.

It has even set aside £1.6 million to buy emergency properties in a bid to avoid families staying in "expensive" B&Bs.

"I'll be getting less money now because all my benefits will be affected, on top of everything else that I've been going through," said 33-year-old Lisa, who could not be rehomed until she had applied for an eviction notice from the county court.

"It is not good timing for me really. I did not plan to be in this position and it is not great."

She is forced to share a single bed with nine-month-old Alfie.

"I don't want to be without a job, on benefits," said Lisa, whose maternity pay from her job at an electrical wholesalers stopped on Sunday.

"I can't raise my child in a hotel, it's ridiculous.

"We just need a proper home where we can relax and get everything sorted."

Full story pages 4&5

LOADING the last boxes of toys, bedding and a push chair into a van, this is the moment mother-of-one Lisa Bowman was evicted from her one-bedroom flat in Springfield.

Handing the keys over to the bailiff in the empty room, Lisa burst into tears and embraced her landlord as the reality of the situation hit home.

Her life in disarray, the 33-year-old claims she has been asking Chelmsford City Council since May 2012 to help her find a flat but to no avail.

Also, with her benefits set to be cut after the welfare reforms, she will be receiving less child benefit and child tax credits as a result of the changes introduced on April 1.

"I have been to the job centre to apply for Income Support, but that is not going to come in for another three or four weeks," she said.

"It is not great that there have been reforms, because in my position I need all the funds I can get."

Lisa cannot move into another private rented flat because she needs a guarantor to be earning over £25,000, but knows no-one.

She also had to clear her debts with help from the credit consumer counselling service, (CCCS), which stops her from borrowing money.

Lisa's landlord wanted to sell her flat so she needed to move out, but with nowhere to live and still no word from the council about accommodation she is forced to stay at the city's Miami Hotel with her baby, Alfie, nine months. This was arranged as a short-term solution by Chelmsford City Council.

She said: "I told the council I have got nowhere to go, but they said I have to wait as other people have more needs than me. The hotel situation is diabolical, my son has already cut his foot on splinters and I had to wash him in his toy box because there is no bath.

"I have just been in floods and floods of tears.

"We could be moved to another temporary place, but I don't want to have to keep uprooting my son.

"We will probably be living on takeaways which is not healthy and very expensive – we cannot live like this.

"If it was just me alone I wouldn't care, I'd sleep in the bus shelter, but I wouldn't with Alfie, he would freeze."

Lisa had to give up her full-time job as a purchasing assistant at electrical wholesalers, BEW, in Chelmsford, when she had Alfie.

Her housing benefits have stopped, and she relies on her milk vouchers, child tax credits and maternity pay, which stopped on Sunday, to survive.

"Now I am going to be a homeless, single mum on benefits and that is not who I am," said Lisa. "I have worked hard all my life and this kind of situation should not be happening to me.

"I have been put on the waiting list for the Chelmer Housing Partnership, but one day they tell me I am fourth on the waiting list and the next I am 150th.

"I just burst into tears at the council, my son has never seen me like that.

"I am a nice person and I am a professional woman. I shouldn't be treated like this, my human rights and my son's human rights are being violated."

Landlord Stephen Button is outraged by the way Lisa has been treated, and said if he could afford a two-bedroom place for her he would buy it.

The process has even cost him £530 in court fees, which he paid for when the council asked him to take the case to court so Lisa could be declared officially homeless, something he says could have been avoided.

"No one would want to be in a hotel with a baby, it is disgusting," he said.

"There is no way the system is fair, it is disgraceful," said Stephen, 59, from Felsted.

"She has been a brilliant tenant and left this place immaculate; she does not deserve all this."

A Chelmsford City Council spokesman said: "We are unable to discuss individual cases in detail. "However, we can confirm that Lisa Bowman has made a homelessness application to this authority which has been agreed under the homelessness legislation.

"Miss Bowman also has a live housing register application, which has been given a high degree of priority.

"Miss Bowman has also been offered assistance by the city council to access privately rented accommodation as part of the targeted housing advice and assistance we offer to every household who makes an approach to us because they are homeless or threatened with homelessness.

"All households are encouraged to pursue accommodation through the private sector, as well as socially rented accommodation, due to the severe shortage of available social housing."

LABOUR'S aim on Essex County Council will be to prioritise scarce resources. Elected Labour councillors will do everything to defend services people rely and depend on, and build an economy that keeps Essex working.

Our manifesto reflects life for hard-working families who are feeling the squeeze.

Labour will build one Essex which works for everyone.

Labour's five point priorities are:

Action on crime and safety.

Action on jobs and growth.

Action to protect services and crack down on waste.

Action to keep Essex moving.

Action on poverty.

The Challenge:

The Tory-led Government's ideological cuts mean that Essex County Council faces significant financial and organisational challenges in the months and years ahead.

Labour will work hard to protect Essex communities from the Tory-led Government's misguided and failed economic experiment.

As individuals and as a group Labour councillors will:

Be open, honest and transparent in all of our dealings to begin to restore trust and confidence in Essex County Council after the Lord Hanningfield scandal.

Redress the balance between public and private provision.

Restore dignity, respect and fairness.

Prioritise the safety of their local communities.

Be focused on responding to the needs of their local communities.

Recognise the challenges hardworking families are facing.

A MUM of three is set to open a £1.5 million visitor centre at her vineyard – the only one of its kind in England.

After four years, Jane Mohan is finally ready to launch West Street Vineyard's own tourism centre in an attempt to bring the "New World" experience of wine to Essex.

The new centre in Coggeshall includes a wine school, 80-seat café, wine bar, conference facilities and a 90-seat south-facing terrace so guests can enjoy their drinks alfresco.

It is the only boutique micro-vineyard to have a wine-tasting centre on site, showcasing varieties from around the country.

Jane toyed with the idea of buying a vineyard in France, and almost did so, but had a change of heart and decided to stay in Essex.

"I worked on a vineyard in France when I was 17 years old, and my husband Stephen, who's 51, did the same in Germany," said ex-PR executive, Jane, 45.

"I decided to stay near to home in Essex. I was born here in Brentwood and it does not get more Essex than that.

"I used to drive past the vineyard every day when I dropped my children off at school.

"I would ring up the estate agents and ask how much it was and it was always an outrageous sum I could not afford. One day they asked me to make an offer, and the owners actually accepted my offer.

"I knew quite a bit about wine, but I had no idea about growing wine.

"We started with 800 vines, of a wine variety that no one had ever heard of.

"I had to take a course in Brighton to learn all I could about growing, then we had our first harvest, bottled it – and it was vile. We thought, 'What have we done?'

"I found out that vines are like women – if you don't nurture them, and give them manicures and pedicures when needed, then they're not at their best."

Currently West Street Vineyard makes a rosé and a white wine, and Jane and her staff have recently planted 3,500 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines for sparkling wine.

Overall, the vineyard tasting centre will hold 21 wines from East Anglia and 28 from across England and Wales, and they have also set up a wine school, led by Neil Bull, from Stebbing.

The new company has even managed to win the 2010 vintage bronze award-winning white and rosé.

Jane has travelled to New Zealand and South Africa where the vineyards are set in contemporary buildings, and serve food alongside the wines.

It was this set-up that inspired Jane to start a restaurant using local seasonal products.

Jane said: "The whole ethos of what we do is that there are lots of excellent English wines out there and we want as many people as possible to try them.

"The village has really got behind what we are doing.

"They call up and ask to help and are offered a glass of wine whilst they work.

"My kids, Jasper, who is 13, Alexander, 11, and Millie, 7, have been really helpful, too, labelling all the bottles – we want this to be about the community as much as it can."

Last year, the weather affected the crop and they lost 40 per cent of their grapes.

"Luckily our crop remained quite good – we were better off than some other parts of the country," added Jane.

"We are situated next to the river Blackwater, and having that water just keeps the frost away because the temperatures are warmer near to water.

"If you look at most vineyards, they are nearly almost always closer to the water."

The vineyard will be officially opened on St George's Day by Jane's mother and a former features editor of the Essex Chronicle, Josie Stevenson, who has been battling with ovarian cancer for three years after being told she had 12 weeks to live.

The theme is all things dedicated to St George's virtues of courage, chivalry and charity, including a knight in full armour on horseback, one hundred red roses and one hundred glasses of English sparkling wine.

In return, West Street Vineyard will ask for a donation to be given to the cancer research fund at Colchester Hospital, who have been caring for Jane's mum.

A LORRY driver involved in a fatal crash had been smoking drugs just hours before the incident, a court heard this week.

Zahid Mohammad is alleged to have smoked cannabis at some point during the eight hours before his 7.5-tonne lorry collided with a car in Maldon Road, Goldhanger, in September 2011 killing Maldon man Robert Barnard.

The 35-year-old, from Forest Gate in London, pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court this week.

Prosecutor Jamie Sawyer told the jury: "At the time this defendant, a professional HGV driver, had a relatively high cannabis reading in his blood."

He said: "It's likely Mohammad smoked cannabis" during his break before the accident.

The crash happened on the afternoon of September 9, 2011, and Mr Barnard, 59, died at the scene, trapped in his Ford Fiesta after suffering multiple injuries – just two miles away from his home of 57 years.

The court heard that Mohammad's vehicle drifted into the opposite lane on a gentle left-hand bend and collided with the front of Mr Barnard's car, causing massive damage and spinning it off the road.

Mr Sawyer told jurors that accident investigators concluded that the point of impact was substantially within the Fiesta's lane, even though both vehicles were travelling at the same speed.

In an interview with police at the time, Mr Mohammad, an agency driver with a sheet metal company in Hainault, claimed that the Fiesta was driving too fast and had crossed into his lane causing the collision, the court heard.

He said he tried to take evasive action by going on the nearside verge and he then steered into the opposite hedge.

The lorry driver denies all charges against him, and has pleaded not guilty to possession of cannabis resin allegedly found in a rucksack in his truck.

He told police he had last smoked cannabis one to two weeks before the crash.

The trial continues.

SIX hundred people flocked to the opening of a new steak restaurant with links to celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay at the weekend.

Although the famous chef could not make the launch of the Rare Cow at the former Chequers pub in Writtle, owner Richard Lester invited a lookalike to entertain the crowds who enjoyed free drinks and tasting sessions on Sunday, along with special guest and boxer Ben Jones, the WBO European super-featherweight champion.

Mr Lester, who runs a cruise ship holiday company, says he has realised a dream by opening his first restaurant after becoming a cult online food reviewer.

"I started doing food reviews about three or four years ago and I became quite famous in London for doing them," said the 44-year-old of Great Baddow, who has completely revamped the former pub, which shut last year.

"I got almost 400,000 followers on Twitter and soon became friends with Gordon Ramsay and a few other celebrity chefs.

"We were always saying how there was nowhere to get a really good steak in Essex and that you had to go to London to get the best beef.

"I suggested Gordon opened a restaurant in the county and he said he had too many overseas commitments and then said 'Why don't you do it?' So I did."

Fed up with chain restaurants selling what he refers to as mass-produced beef, Mr Lester says he only deals with the finest RSPCA- approved cows that are allowed to roam free on grasslands in the Essex countryside, the Yorkshire Moors and Cornwall.

He is helped by his fiancée and business partner, Svetlana, a former veterinary surgeon from Russia who used to work in animal welfare at Harrods.

The 70-seat restaurant also serves fresh fish delivered from Cornwall the morning after it is caught, including lobster and the restaurant's self-styled "enormous king prawns".

Mr Lester has even recruited Andrew Wan as his head chef, a former apprentice of Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, while the 12 waiting staff, all employed locally, were trained by one of Ramsay's award-winning maître ds.

With people queuing outside to get in on Sunday, Mr Lester says he was thrilled to cater for villagers. "I couldn't quite believe how many people turned up; we had people queuing. It was great to introduce ourselves and to be able to show them what we've done to the place."

G ARDEN centres across the country are adapting to a changing customer demand and Tomlins in Brentwood are no different.

The Mascalls Lane business has begun a raft of changes aimed at becoming more than just a garden centre.

Developments include the construction of a restaurant, a butcher's, a farm shop and a children's play area.

Paul Coxwell, 29, the Tomlins general manager, said: "We are really looking forward to where this new chapter is leading.

"We will have our own local butcher's, a restaurant that can seat 120 people, we want to become a shopping destination where you can spend a day out.

"Out of town shopping centres have shown that people like treating shopping as a day out and that is what we want to offer.

"We have been around for 53 years and people know us, they trust us, this plan is about adapting for the next 50 years."

Environmental sustainability is also a key part of the Tomlins development, with solar panels being installed on top of the new warehouse.

"We aim to be completely self-sustainable in electricity use, we already capture rain water and have done for over 10 years," said Mr Coxwell.

More than 50 jobs will be created over the next year, which Paul sees as giving back to the community.

"We have a special customer service experience that we provide and all our new staff will be handpicked to continue this tradition," he said.

Despite the drastic change to the business, sticking to their roots is essential.

Paul said: "We are changing to offer our customers a better service, but we will still be a garden centre."

Tomlins wants to remain at the heart of the community, with a butcher's and farm shop offering locally sourced produce.

The restaurant will adhere to the same principles, with its freshly prepared meals all made on site.

They will also be expanding into the realms of online shopping, with an e-commerce website offering click and collect and nationwide delivery.

The garden centre, which has been on its current site for 35 years, changed ownership two years ago and has been heavily invested in since then by the new owner, David Milne.

Mr Coxwell said: "We are always looking for ways to adapt to the customers' needs, we offer many services now and will continue them throughout our modernisation and afterwards.

"The changes will continue to take place over the next year but customers can still come in as usual, we are only closing for a short time in December."

Sophia Charalambous

newsdesk@essexchronicle.co.uk

A GARDEN nursery is celebrating 60 years of being in the business.

Sally Belcher and her husband, Les, took over the family business, Hillcrest Nurseries, nine years ago when founder, Dudley Vinall, died.

Mr Vinall started the businesses in 1947 in Herongate, Brentwood, on the corner between Weald and Western Road, with his sister, Gene.

Both siblings married in 1953, Mr Vinall married Audrey, and they bought the land in Ingrave to start the nursery.

"It was built up from nothing, just the open ground," said mum-of-two, Sally, 57.

"When mum and dad first bough the land they lived in what we know as the potting shed which is tiny.

"They lived in there for 18 months together whilst their bungalow was being built - and mum still lives in the bungalow now."

Sally left school and worked with her dad, and took over the business after his death.

She said: "I knew as a small child that I wanted to grow plants and work with dad, and I was fortunate enough to do that.

"There are photos of me at three-years-old with a watering can.

"You never stop learning about conditions for plants and the new varieties, but the pleasure of seeing things grow and that you've cared for is a beautiful thing."

The company are planning on displaying old photographs throughout this summer to show how the nursery has changed over the 60 years.

"Back then you could see from one end right down to the school on the other end, but you definitely can't see that anymore," said Sally.

"Then in the mid 70s, dad closed the Brentwood shop to concentrate on growing the plants.

"People had cars and so they could all drive to the garden centre because they wanted to see where the plants were grown."

Hillcrest prides itself on supplying unusual plants such as hybrids and other unusual varieties.

Now, Sally and husband Les, who came to work at the nursery a couple of years before Mr Vinall died, are carrying on the business as a new partnership.

"We tell people that we supply things for both the beginner and the connoisseur.

"I was very fortunate to have my dad, but it is a new journey with Les now."

NEARLY 2,000 households in mid Essex are affected by the so-called 'bedroom tax' – introduced by Chancellor George Osborne as part of sweeping changes to the welfare state.

Councils across Braintree, Chelmsford and Maldon estimate 1,986 homes have had their housing benefit slashed as a result of the changes introduced on April 1. Those with one spare bedroom will lose 14 per cent of their payment, while those with more than two spare rooms will lose a quarter.

Local authorities have moved quickly to mitigate the potential damage, with Chelmsford City Council making £1.6 million available to buy homes in case families are made homeless by the cut.

The reductions in housing benefit form a package of cuts introduced this month to trim the welfare bill, including changes to the Disability Living Allowance, council tax benefit and an overall benefit cap.

Critics of the changes say the reforms will be felt by the poorest in society. On Saturday, Chelmsford Against The Cuts and local members of protest group UK Uncut held a demonstration against the housing benefit reductions, by setting up a fake bedroom in the High Street.

"The harsh consequences of these reforms will be seen most of all by those affected by them," said Rev Raymond Draper, an economic adviser to the Diocese of Chelmsford. "We will certainly see more suffering amongst the poorest and most vulnerable sections of our communities.

"The challenge to the churches will be greater than ever," he added.

The Government estimates that 60,000 of claimants in the East of England will be affected, with 31 per cent of all working-age people facing cuts and an average weekly loss of £13.

In Chelmsford, 771 households are affected by the tax, with the average home losing £18 per week. The city council says 625 households, including 246 with dependent children, face the lower reduction – an average loss of £15.23 a week.

While a further 146 homes, six with dependent children, face a 25 per cent cut to their housing benefit and stand to lose an average of £28.59 per week.

"It looks as though those facing the largest cut will be older people, but not pension age, whose children have grown up and moved away," a spokesman for Chelmsford City Council said.

Braintree District Council, meanwhile, estimates that a quarter of all social housing tenants in their area will be forced to downsize to smaller accommodation. "We cannot stress enough how important it is for all residents who will be affected by the new scheme to look at their finances and plan ahead," said Braintree councillor Lady Patricia Newton, Cabinet Member for Planning and Property.

"We are working hard to ensure that everyone affected will have the opportunity to receive financial advice to help them budget for the changes."

In Maldon, 277 households are affected, with 69 "under-occupying" by two or more bedrooms and 208 by one spare bedroom.

Unsurprisingly, the three district councils have moved quickly to mitigate the potential damage of each benefit cut.

Chelmsford City Council, for example, is using cash from its reserves to buy property for use by residents forced from their homes, in an attempt to reduce its reliance on expensive B&B accommodation.

In addition, the authority has hired two members of staff to support residents affected by the council tax changes.

Braintree, on the other hand, has set aside £50,000 for the Citizen Advice Bureau and a £150,000 'Housing Needs Fund'.

Paul Hart, from the district's CAB, said: "We advise that people, regardless of circumstances, are financially prepared."

HAVERING Council has been awarded a £20,000 to digitise historic exhibits from Rainham.

The authority has been given the money by Veolia Havering Riverside Trust to make exhibits that tell the colourful story of the settlement's history more accessible to the public by putting them online.

The project, titled Rainham: a village near the Thames, will tell the history of Rainham, as well as the surrounding areas of South Hornchurch and Wennington.

It will specifically focus on its agricultural past and relationship with the River Thames.

It will also examine the story of the Church of Saint Helen and Saint Giles, the oldest building in Havering, established by the monks at Lesnes Abbey in Bexley.

It charts the development of the village in the 18th and 19th centuries and the growth of the district through the industries on the Thames and 20th-century suburban developments.

The digitised collection is expected to be available online before spring 2014, in line with the opening of the new Rainham Library.

A ROW has broken out over who owns the land on which a pavement could be built near Chipping Ongar Primary School in Greensted Road.

It had been thought that the land next to the vacant Jewson building was owned by the builders' merchants.

Yet this week, the firm claimed it belongs to Essex County Council.

Richard Halderthay, director of communications at Jewson, said: "The land immediately alongside our branch is owned by the local authority. However, if the local authority were considering the construction of a new pathway, we would be more than happy to discuss with them how we could assist in making this happen in the interests of improving the safety of local residents."

Essex County Council says the issue has to be raised at the local highways panel before anything can be done.

School governor Professor Keith Snow, who is concerned about the safety of pedestrians on Greensted Road, said: "The council said they can't do anything, Jewson don't seem to want to do anything, I don't know whose problem it is."

Comment on Essex County Council elections from pages 24 & 25

THE work of a county councillor can sometimes seem a bit of a mystery.

What do they do? What power do they have? Do they really have an impact on our life?

However, the successful candidates in next month's Essex County Council elections will be responsible for a £2 billion budget, and decide on everything from social services to education to highways. So the answer is yes, they do and will affect our daily lives.

That's why all people of voting age should find the time to visit their local polling station on May 2 to choose the candidate that will best represent them.

To make that decision a little easier, the Chronicle has set out clearly the priorities of all the major parties so that residents can be sure they are making an informed choice.

As hopefuls campaign in the coming weeks, they should be challenged by locals on the issues that matter. Let us not make it too easy for people to be elected into such an important role.

TOWN CRIER Tony Appleton has temporarily put his bell to rest whilst he's been cooking up a storm in the kitchens of three Essex restaurants after appearing on prime time TV.

Tony was picked by film crews to appear on ITV show Food Glorious Food, where he cooked his grandmother's bread and butter pudding with a dash of rum.

After reaching the semi-finals of the show, Tony was contacted by Pontlands Park, in Chelmsford and the Ivy Hill Hotel and Furze Hill Hotel in Margaretting.

Tony said: "I was so close, but despite not winning I am very pleased with the outcome. Now more people get to try my grandmother's pudding with my special ingredient, Pusser's Traditional Dark Navy Rum."

Head chef at Pontlands Park, Giles Cheesman, has been working with Tony to perfect the recipe.

He said: "We have decided to make a rum and raisin ice cream and a light egg custard to go with the pudding on the menu.

"The dish will be at the restaurants within the next week."

VILLAGERS fear the planned construction of two cottages in the beer garden of a Grade II-listed disused pub will spell the end for the hostelry.

Blackmore residents are worried that the planning application in respect of the grounds of The Bull in Church Street will be the precursor to the historic building itself being converted into flats.

The pub has been empty for two and a half years but the new plans which have been submitted to Brentwood Borough Council by Sheila Pickering have not met with the approval of many residents.

Ms Pickering insists her planning application provides for the retention of the public house, thus fulfilling its purpose and function within the village and local community – although some villagers remain unconvinced.

Should the application for two semi-detached cottages be approved, the 1975 extensions that comprise the rear of the pub above the cellar and the WC, as well as the rear extension will be demolished.

This, Ms Pickering says, would bring the building back to how it was originally laid out at the rear.

Her application adds that the existing extensions detract from the "character and architectural integrity of the listed building".

Many Blackmore residents, however, are keen for new owners to come forward to take The Bull on as a pub or restaurant.

They say the pub, which dates back to 1365, has always been at the heart of the community and are keen to see it re-opened.

As previously reported in the Gazette, a petition, supported by hundreds of signatories, has been launched to lobby for the building to remain as a pub.

Judi Woods, of The Green, is among those concerned about the future of The Bull.

"I understand from the planning application that the intention is to demolish the cellar," she said.

"There doesn't seem to be any place for the storage of bottled goods or barrelage once the cellar has gone.

"This begs the question how can a public house operate without these facilities – if indeed there is any intention of re-opening the pub.

"I may have misunderstood but in Section 18 of the application only the option to allow for a drinking establishment was not ticked.

"Does this mean that restaurant facilities are not intended?

"Without a cellar or restaurant and a reduced beer garden how can a public house be a viable business?

"To be successful a pub needs to offer an excellent range of real ales and a good restaurant.

"We would personally object in the strongest possible terms to any attempt in the future to de-license the building, which I understand can only happen if an owner can prove that the business is not viable."

She added: "We object to the owner being able to do anything to reduce the viability of The Bull as a pub including the demolition of the cellar store and the reduction of the garden which was used by families all throughout the spring, summer and autumn months in the past."

Susan Rayner, who has lived in Blackmore for 10 years, said in a letter to the council seen by the Gazette: "I am likely to be more affected than any other Blackmore resident.

"The Bull as a public house was once the heart of the village bringing life, income and amenity.

"There is no reason for a change of use other than the fact the current owners cannot operate a public house – and presumably no one wants to buy it that can.

"More sensible would be a village initiative, as elsewhere, to purchase and operate the pub on a community basis."

Another resident, Margaret Thompson, said: "Frankly I do not believe that there is any intention of re-opening The Bull as a pub and reading the planning supporting statement I think that there are several indicators to support this.

"I am certain that if the pub did re-open serving good quality and properly priced meals it would be very successful."

Ms Pickering was unavailable for comment as the Gazette went to press.

A decision on the application is expected later this month.

To view the planning application visit www.brentwood.gov.uk

CRAIG EDWARDS has called on his Billericay Town side to be braver in possession of the ball as their battle for Blue Square Bet South survival reaches a critical stage.

Despite a decent start – and Rob Swaine's second-minute wondergoal – in Saturday's game against Salisbury City, Edwards' side were outclassed by their opponents and in the second half struggled to get the ball out of their own half.

Chris McPhee levelled for second-placed Salisbury before Jamie White netted the winner – which Edwards said was offside – in the second half to leave the Blues five points from safety.

"To be fair we've been well and truly beaten," Edwards said. "We make no excuses at all.

"We looked like a side that is on its way down. I said to the boys if you're going to go down, go down giving your best.

"They've run themselves into the ground, they couldn't give any more physically. But they need to be brave, get on the ball. It was like a hot potato at times.

"That is because of the situation we're in.

"The second goal was offside, but I don't want to hear that. I said to them that I've never been relegated and a lot of you have never been relegated, but every side I've ever seen relegated, it's the referee, the linesman, it's this, it's that.

"Ultimately we are where we are because of how good we are. If we go down, then it's because we're not good enough for this division. Welling win the league, they're the best team in the division. You are where you are.

"All I want from them is to be braver and if we go down, we go down giving it our best shot.

"We need to get on the ball, be brave and play football because we worked very hard to get the ball and when we got it, we gave it away too easily."

With a long trip to play-off hopefuls Weston-super-Mare tomorrw and then Farnborough away on Tuesday, Edwards' men are facing an uphill struggle to avoid an instant return to the Ryman League Premier Division.

But he insists his team are still ready to fight – in some cases literally – to stay in the division.

"The fight's very much there," he added. "They're fighting. A couple of them had a punch-up in the dressing room on Tuesday.

"The fight's there but it's just a lack of confidence, perhaps the position we're in, we're playing like a team that's in that position.

"We showed up until Christmas that we're a team that's better than that position. Since then we've had a dire run.

"We could point the finger that we've had five good players who would generally start most games not available for us. For a side where we are, that is a big loss. We can't compensate for that. We've had three youth team players on the bench and it's hard for us. I'm not going to lie.

"All we can do is go out there and try and win the last games. It wouldn't be the biggest shock in history if we did do it.

"But it's a big ask. If they go out and play like they did against Salisbury, we've got no chance.

"We dropped so deep and they were able to play around us.

"We tried to play higher andfor 15 to 20 minutes we did better in the second half, but ultimately they were better than us"

THIS rare white deer has been captured on camera frolicking through the picturesque countryside on the outskirts of Chelmsford.

Natasha Begent, 16, from Chelmsford, was on a country walk with relatives when she spotted the creature running with a herd of brown deer and a paler one in Highwood.

The Writtle College student said: "I had my camera with me and I came across a herd of them and managed to get a picture of it.

"I thought it was a bit strange and interesting, I've never seen anything like that before.

"I like to take photos of wildlife, animal, plants and my family. I'm studying animal management at the moment, but would love to go into wildlife photography."

The deer is possibly an albino, which means it suffers from an extremely rare genetic condition called albinism that can appear in any species of animal and means they do not produce any pigment in their skin.

Helen McRobie, a senior lecturer in biomedical science at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, inspected the pictures.

Two distinctly different pale deer can be seen in the photos taken by Natasha – one much whiter than the other.

Helen said: "The really white one is definitely an albino, but the other one looks too cream coloured – it could have only one of the genes. It's pretty rare in this area but they do pop up occasionally.

"Albinism occurs when there are two copies of the same recessive gene, so this animal has got it from both parents.

"These genes are rare in the population, it's hard to know how many there are in the area as the other gene dominates over it."

It is thought there are around 30,000 regular deer to every one albino in the country.

However, Laura Drake of The Mammal Society has a different take on the genetic make-up of the animals pictured.

"They're Fallow deer, confirmed by the tail pattern, white under the tail with bold black lines either side and along the top of the tail.

"The fallow coat ranges quite a bit. There are four main varieties: common, menil, black and white.

"The white variety, as the one in these images, are not albino but may be a yellowish white. These 'white' deer, which are born sandy, are common, while true albinos are very rare indeed.

"This one is almost certainly a white fallow deer, not albino, due to the yellowing of the coat and faint presence of spots."

A MUM will realise a lifelong ambition when she participates in the London Marathon later this month.

Annette Jewers, 43, pictured, from Chelmsford, has dreamed of taking part in the marathon ever since her parents took her to watch the race when she was a child.

Now after years of waiting, Mrs Jewers will finally line up amongst the thousands of other runners to take on the famous course.

"Every year I think 'I could do that' but I have never done anything about it before," she said.

"Last year something changed in me.

" I knew I could do it, I had to do it in my lifetime and here I am."

Mrs Jewers will be running in aid of Leukaemia CARE, a charity close to her heart. "Unfortunately, our family has been touched by this terrible illness as have our close friends," she said.

"To raise some money for Leukaemia CARE feels like I am giving something back."

DIRECTOR of rugby Eddie Gooby admits the improved weather has helped his side after they romped to another huge victory.

Seven days on from a 79-24 win at Saffron Walden, Gooby's men set a club record with this 81-5 trouncing of Stevenage.

It was their first game back at Timsons Lane after last month's gas explosion, and Gooby was glad to be back.

"It was fantastic," he said. "We had a large crowd, a couple of hundred people watching. All the boys were happy.

"The team has just gelled over the last two games. With the weather changing, a bit of sun and the fast ground, we're a different team.

"As soon as the weather changes, our side is better than any other in the league I think.

"Unfortunately, the packs of teams we play against are normally bigger than our pack and with the few injuries we incurred for about six weeks, we had no front row in the muddy ground and we went backwards.

"But as soon as the fast ground comes, our team just takes over.

"This week we didn't play as well as the week before but we scored more points, so the things we're doing in training are coming off now."

The fact that ten of the 13 tries scored were by the backs is testament to their ability to run the ball from any position.

Chelmsford were 5-0 up after two minutes when Sid Hoult galloped over for the first try.

Paul Smedley sprinted through a gap in the centre before Ollie Wright repeated the process minutes later.

Stevenage had their best period midway through the half, when their forwards placed sustained pressure on the Chelmsford line and they deservedly scored.

Chelmsford were soon on the attack again, Hankin finding a gap before feeding Seb Hill.

Just before half-time, Hankin put in an electric start from a standing position to make the score 38-5 at the interval.

During the second half, further scores from Tantende Gurune, Hankin and Hill (2) were all tries scored by the backs.

The forwards, however, were not to be outdone and scored the last three tries.

Nick Sarni spectacularly dived over, captain Simon Quinn plunged and Josh Clarke scored the final try.

It was appropriate that Clarke scored the final try as he was voted player of the year at the awards ceremony that followed the game.

Next week will be the final league game of the season, when Chelmsford entertain Lowestoft & Yarmouth - who were due to be the opponents on the day of the gas explosion - at 3pm.