ARSENAL forward Theo Walcott is aiming to get amongst the goals a lot more at the Emirates this season. The 19-year-old knows it is a big year for him with the Gunners, and he is looking to vastly improve on the seven goals and five assists he got last
ARSENAL winger Theo Walcott has admitted he was left “star-struck” when he first met the man, who's famous number 14 squad number he has inherited at the Emirates this season. The former Southampton man, who now wears Gunners' legend Thierry
ONE glance inside the Nuovo restaurant, in South Woodford, and I feel it will be way above the budget of a trainee reporter. And as the waiter pulls out my chair for me to sit down, my concerns are reinforced. But as I study the menu I realise the food
KITTENS dumped in airless boxes and puppies left on doorsteps are becoming a regular occurrence as the economic downturn hits Waltham Forest. The RSCPA has recorded a sharp rise in the number of abandoned cats in Greater London, and a Chingford
TO coincide with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the build up to London 2012, the V&A Museum of Childhood’s summer exhibition, A Century of Olympic Posters is the first to bring together a large range of Olympic Games posters from the 1900 Paris Games
WHEN MGM turned the Lerner and Loewe musical Gigi into a hugely successful film in 1958, the role of Honore was played by Maurice Chevalier and songs like ‘Thank Heaven for Little Girls’ and ‘I Remember it Well’ became inextricably linked with the French
ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger has yet another injury worry with the news that young striker Carlos Vela has pulled a muscle in his right leg while on international duty. The 19-year-old appears to be a doubt for Mexico's match with Honduras tonight, after
The Unforgettable Tour, the largest indoor Bollywood extravaganza, in the UK takes place on Sunday August 24. It is the first Bollywood event to be staged at the O2 Arena and the first Indian entertainment event to go ‘green.’ The concert will feature
THE Big Brother contestant who readily admits he has never read a book in his life puts pen to paper for his debut novel. Essex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll is the intriguingly, if not slightly unoriginally titled first work of Jonathan Durden, the notorious
IN the 1980s I was so fearful of the threat of an all-out war between the American and Soviet superpowers that I took my first, and to date, only steps down the road of political activism by deciding to join the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
LOVE will be in the air in Walthamstow next month if its artists have anything to do with it. People involved in the E17 Art Trail this year have chosen a decidedly romantic theme for this year’s event. From E17 with Love will take place from September
ESSEX coach Paul Grayson has told his team they cannot afford to lose any of their five remaining LV County Championship Division Two matches if they want to gain promotion this summer. Grayson’s side go into today’s clash with leaders Worcestershire
THE Lakeside Hammers League championship challenge has been hit by a further injury blow. Ahead of an important two days for the Hammers news has come through that Jonas Davidsson, one of the most improved riders in the League this season, was hurt in
A GROUP of swimmers from Davenant Foundation School notched up several hundred lengths during a sponsored swim for The Make-a Wish Foundation. The seven students raised a total of £260.60 towards helping improve the life of severely disabled young people
GYPSIES have been granted temporary planning permission for eight plots, because the district council has not come up with a plan for them to move elsewhere. The site at Holmsfield Nursery, on Meadgate Road, in Nazeing, accommodates 24 caravans. Planning
ABUSE of drugs and alcohol is on the increase among young people in the borough, figures reveal. The number of under-25s admitted to Whipps Cross Hospital for drug overdoses and substance abuse-related illnesses rose from 411 in 2006/7 to 477 in 2007
AS a civil liberties campaigner and someone for whom mental illness runs in the family, I was really shocked and distressed to read the article about how electric-shock therapy is being used on mentally ill patients (Guardian, August 14). I’m sure I
REGARDING your story about the Fitzgerald Road estate, in Wanstead (Guardian, July 31), it should be pointed out that the paths are in a very good condition, even if the car park is a little uneven. There are numerous places to cross the drive to keep
ALTHOUGH rising house prices may be the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ for some (Guardian, August 14), that is certainly not the case for many, many other people in London like me. As someone who has lived all my life in Woodford Wells, growing up
CARLISLE boss John Ward is looking for a more solid display against Orient this Saturday. While the Cumbrians have made a 100 per cent start to the league season with a 3-2 win at Bristol Rovers and a 4-2 home win over Crewe on Saturday, former Cheltenham
I JUST wanted to say how inspired I was by the story of the former Wanstead rugby player, Andy Barrow, (Guardian, August 7). Not being a fan of the sport, I had never heard of him before or the awful injuries he had suffered. The fact that he broke
REGARDING Middle East issues, as a holder of the Palestine Mandate until 1948, historically, Britain does have a moral obligation to this area. The original two-state solution dates back to 1921 when Winston Churchill gave three quarters of the original
IT comes as absolutely no surprise to people living in South Woodford that yobbish behaviour is flourishing in the wake of the opening of Funky Mojo. Gangs of tikka-tinted girls and bleach-blonde lads have unsettled some of us who live nearby, including
THE Green Party believes that neither corporal nor capital punishment, or indeed wars, are the solutions to society’s problems – either here or abroad – and therefore supports the sentiments expressed in Tyler Matthew’s letter, ‘Salute schoolchildren
IS this another case of Epping Forest District Council gone mad? I have just received a bill for £12.65 for sewer repairs. Prior to the bill we had several letters relating to the problem and warning of a potential cost to each of the houses involved
WE, the vast majority of Theydon Bois residents, are sick and tired of developers trying to cover our surrounding Green Belt with vast areas of tarmac. This latest “car park” scheme (Epping Forest Guardian, July 31 edition) follows a previous proposal
AFTER years of women from my generation fighting for equality and respect from our male counterparts, I find it astounding that the process for choosing carnival queens and princesses is still rooted in sexism. While I understand that this is a story
I DON’T know how many of your readers have been caught out over the new parking restrictions outside the Winston Churchill pub, on Debden Broadway. I parked there a few weeks ago and received a fixed penalty parking ticket. I later saw the
I WAS somewhat surprised and saddened to learn of the recent proposals from the North Weald Conservative councillor and portfolio holder, Dave Stallan to recommend the use of green spaces in Loughton namely, Jessel Drive, Newmans Lane, Oakwood Hill, Westall
THE Arriva 541 service and the H1 Imperial bus service now have inter-available tickets. If you buy a return on the 541 you can use it to come back on the H1, and vice versa, and this has been in operation since early this year. However, on each occasion
TWENTY years ago, on August 2, my son, Peter, married and ten days later emigrated to Australia with his Australian wife. The Gazette, as it was then, printed a photograph and a write up of them. They are coming back to England for a six-week visit in
ESSEX Police Chief Constable Roger Baker is reported to be raising funds through sponsorship by local businesses. Fair enough, but why won’t our police ask us, the tax payers, to provide the funds needed for the police service that we, the
YOUNG Arsenal striker Nacer Barazite will be hoping his loan spell at Championship Derby as team-mate Jay Simpson's similar spell at Millwall last season. The 19-year-old Simpson returned from The New Den, named as the League One Player of the Season
I HAVE just read another article about Princess Alexandra’s cleanliness and I would like to add my opinion on this. My mother was admitted to the hospital in September last year suffering from severe dehydration. It was touch and go
IN response to Vibha Munbodh complaining that while she got a fine for parking on the pavement the council’s own car was parked in a cycle lane on a yellow line (Guardian August 14), the advice is simple. Stop worrying about where the CCTV car is and
TOTTENHAM could be ruled out of a move for Diego Forlan after Atletico Madrid slapped a £30million price tag on the forward. With Dimitar Berbatov pining for a move to Manchester United, Lilywhites boss Juande Ramos is desperate to boost his striking
REGARDING the article ‘Screaming baby’s mother turfed out of restaurant (Guardian August 7 ). Your article relating to my wife’s treatment in Tuscany’s portrays my wife in a light more akin to a chav – someone who laughs at their screaming child and
DERBY COUNTY boss Paul Jewell reckons Nacer Barazite will be an exciting addition to his squad. The 18-year-old Dutchman joined the Rams on a month-long loan deal from Arsenal. The striker has featured twice for the Gunners, both in
I WAS disgusted to learn that the Chandlers are selling the Walthamstow track for housing purposes. The only people happy about this will be the religious groups who are against drinking and gambling. The way things are going all there will be is housing
A FEW weeks ago I was admitted to Whipps Cross Hospital with acute haemoglobin malfunction of the blood and I was put in Nightingale Ward. I recovered extremely well thanks to the doctors and nursing staff on that ward. They were very caring and considerate
MUCH has been said about the chronicle of Walthamstow Stadium. I appreciate the fact that dog racing was the main feature of this reknowned stadium over the years. However, I would add that in 1934 speedway racing was introduced to the Chingford Road
ARSENAL defender Johann Djourou is believed to attracting interest from French outfit Rennes. The Ligue One club would like to take the Switzerland international on loan for the season, although with Arsene Wenger's squad already ravaged by injury it
WHAT a refreshing change to read Sarah Cosgrove’s up-beat piece on the big screen switch-on (Guardian, August 14). Her vox pop was particularly positive and the accompanying picture of picnicking mothers and toddlers enjoying the occasion was a delight
THE impressive Team Great Britain medal haul, at the Beijing Olympics, bodes well for the good prospects of our own locally grown talented athletes, in all sporting disciplines, for the 2012 Games. We will all hold the highest expectations for local
THE revelations about the council’s handling of Neighbourhood Reneal Fund (NRF) monies grow ever more grotesque. First, we discover the past project files that nearly 80 per cent are incomplete, that in half the cases there is no contract in evidence
THIS is in the article about the closure of the Prince of Wales pub (Guardian, August 14). As regular supporters of the many social events at The Prince of Wales, contrary to the impression given in your article, we would like you to know that these
MRS O’Sullivan (Guard-ian, July 14) says working class folks are being ignored and that the current protesters fighting the Walthamstow town centre screen, to save the EMD/Granada and against a Primark “want things to stay exactly the same”. Hardly!
YOUNG midfielder Denilson has earmarked this season as his breakthrough year at Arsenal. The highly-promising 19-year-old has managed just a bit-part role in his first two years with the north Londoners. Mathieu Flamini and Gilberto
DAGENHAM boss John Still was delighted with his side’s second-half masterclass which saw off Lincoln – but warned the hard work can’t stop. The 58-year-old is famed for driving his ‘team ethic’ mantra into his players. And it paid off
A TEENAGER from Walthamstow has appeared in court to deny stabbing a man through the heart outside McDonald's in Oxford Street. Anthony Costa, 19, of Gainsford Road, pleaded not guilty to murder when he appeared at the Old Bailey today. Steven
WEST HAM defender Anton Ferdinand has been urged to leave London to join Sunderland. Black Cats defender Nyron Nosworthy would love to form a central defensive partnership with the former England Under-21 international at the Stadium of Light
DIMITAR Berbatov's dream move to Manchester United looks to be in jeopardy with Spurs refusing to budge from their £30million asking price. The 27-year-old has made it clear he wants to complete a switch to Old Trafford and handed a transfer
FOOTBALL LEYTON boss Steve Newing admits he is delighted to have taken four points from the opening two Ryman League division one north games of the season. But he insists that it is wrong to judge his newly-formed team this early in
Interwood FC are holding trials for next season for U8s to U16s at Fairways, Walthamstow on Saturday mornings 9am until 11am. For details call Trevor Bailey 0795 638 5568. Weald Bassett are looking for a good goalkeeper to play in the U14s First
GOLF OLIVER FISHER’S surge towards the top shows no sign of slowing after the golfer continued his remarkable season with a highly-impressive eighth-place finish in Sweden’s SAS Masters. The Chigwell Row resident climbed to 36th in the
Brentwood 156-a/o Wanstead 157-7 (Premier League) WANSTEAD moved a giant step closer to the Premier League title with a hard-fought three-wicket win at Brentwood. The Uplands outfit hold almost unassailable 50 point lead over Gidea Park
Upminster 147-2 South Woodford 146-a/o (Premier League) SOUTH WOODFORD will slug it out with local rivals Chingford to avoid relegation after suffering a heavy eight-wicket defeat to Upminster. A disappointing batting display allowed
CRICKET ROUNDUP High Beach 237-9 Thorley 218-9 (HECL Division Two) MARTIN Gilbert’s under-pressure innings of 77 rescued High Beach from a dire position and set up a highly impressive victory over Thorley. With the team in all sorts of
Wickford 177-a/o Woodford Wells 178-5 (Division One) WELLS moved a giant step closer to a return to the top flight of Essex cricket with a five-wicket win at Wickford. The hosts opened the batting and made a solid start through top order
Colchester & east Essex 223-7 Chingford 144-a/o (Premier League) CHINGFORD skipper Sam Kirnon is preparing himself for a ‘scrap’ to the finish as they moved off the bottom despite losing to Colchester. The Forestsiders’ bowlers did well
Fives & Heronians 195-5 Leigh-on-Sea 194-a/o (Division Two) FIVES recorded a vital win over Leigh-on-Sea to keep their noses in front of Loughton in the race for the Division Two title. With growing pressure from Mike Hughes’ side as well
Loughton 161-2 Old Southendians 160-a/o (Division Two) LOUGHTON kept the pressure on leaders Fives and continued to evade the advances of Walthamstow after recording a resounding eight-wicket win over lowly Old Southendians. The Uplands
Stanford-le-Hope 80-3 Woodford Green 78-a/o (Division Three) WOODFORD Green crashed to yet another heavy defeat after going down by seven-wickets at Stanford-le-Hope. The visitors’ resistance was destroyed by Stanford’s opening bowlers Daryl
Harlow 53-a/o Walthamstow 165-a/o (Division Two) THE prolific Andy Fernandes helped Walthamstow maintain their late promotion push as the E17 boys left Harlow red-faced by skittling them out for just 58. Fernandes followed on from his eight-wicket
Benfleet 58-2 Ongar 56-a/o (Division Three) ONGAR were made to pay for travelling to Benfleet with a depleted team, as they found themselves soundly beaten by eight wickets. The visitors lost the toss on an average-looking track and the
Epping 108-a/o West Essex 178-a/o (Division Three) WEST ESSEX moved to within striking distance of the top two in Division Three with a comprehensive 70-run win over Epping. The Rolls Park outfit are now just 19 points off Billericay in
Billericay 179-1 Old Parkonians 178-9 (Division Three) DESPITE a spirited performance Old Parks found promotion-chasing Billericay too hot to handle as they slumped to a nine-wicket defeat at the Toby Howe Ground. The visitors opened the
Old Brentwoods 152-a/o Buckhurst hill 151-1 (Division Three) BUCKHURST Hill stand on the cusp of promotion success after securing a convincing nine-wicket win at Old Brentwoods. The hosts had been one of only two teams to inflict
FOOTBALL COACHING YOUNG female footballers are being encouraged to put their skills into practice in the new U10s Division of the Essex County Girls’ League due to be launched in September. The Essex County FA (ECFA) announced the creation
TEEMU Tainio appears set to miss out on an emotional return to Spurs this weekend with a leg strain. The Sunderland new boy has been withdrawn from the Finland squad at the last minute and now appears to be a major doubt to face his old club.
JUNIOR FOOTBALL WOODFORD Youth kick off their biggest football season ever next month when games get underway in the Echo League. This year a total of 19 Woodford teams are being fielded with three home grounds now needed to accommodate them
ATHLETICS CHINGFORD sprinter Jeanette Kwakye proved it's not all doom and gloom for UK Athletics as she became the first British woman to make the final of the Olympic 100 metres for 24 years. On paper, Kwakye was an also-ran, with
ATHLETICS DECATHLETE Daniel Awde gets his Olympic campaign underway tomorrow morning, marking the biggest moment of his career. The Woodford Green with Essex Ladies athlete competed in the 100metres at 9.20am local time before taking
NEW Fulham striker Andrew Johnson is hoping to win his race against time to face Arsenal this weekend. The former Everton striker is expected to take part in full training today, as he looks to recover a thigh strain. The England striker is yet to
BOWLS ROUNDUP CENTRAL put their name on the Ivan Fennel Cup for the third time in four years after the A team claimed a one-shot victory over Clementswood. As with last week's Group Five Unbadged Double Fours Competition semi-final win against
ESSEX wicket-keeper James Foster believes Grant Flower will be forever remembered fondly by cricket lovers of the county. Flower made certain of that in thrilling style last weekend when he played the starring role in helping the county to
SPURS look set to lose out on another possible strike target after Roman Pavlyuchenko claims he would prefer to stay in Russia with Spartak Moscow. Tottenham, who appear to be actively looking for possible replacements for want-away striker Dimitar Berbatov
WEST HAM defender James Collins' return from injury could open the door for Anton Ferdinand to leave Upton Park. Sunderland are known to be interested in Ferdinand and reports suggest Roy Keane has had an £8million bid accepted by the Irons
WEST HAM are in talks with Chilean striker Sebastian Pinto. The Hammers are bringing the Santos player, nicknamed 'The Tank', in for a trial with a view to securing a permanant deal. Alan Curbishley has beaten off competition for 22-
PHILIPPE Senderos' days at Arsenal could be numbered if the club are successful in their surprising chase for Mikael Silvestre. The Daily Mail suggests Arsene Wenger may cash in on the Swiss defender if their shock move for Silvestre comes off. The
JUANDE Ramos wants Dimitar Berbatov's future resolved to allow him to focus on his pursuit for Athletico Madrid's Diego Forlan and Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz, according to reports. Berbatov is expected to complete his long-awaited move to Manchester
TOTTENHAM midfielders Aaron Lennon and Tom Huddlestone played key roles in England under 21's 2-1 victory over Slovenia at Hull's KC Stadium last night. The pair each laid on goals for Micah Richards and James Milner as England came from behind to record
REPORTS in the media suggest former Tottenham manager Martin Jol is interested in taking White Hart Lane misfit Kevin Prince Boateng to Hamburg. The central midfielder was one of Jol's summer signings for Spurs last year but the 21-year-old has endured
SPURS have denied reports linking them with a move for West Ham's Anton Ferdinand. According to the Guardian, Sunderland have had an £8million bid accepted by the Hammers but it was thought that late interest from Tottenham had jeopardised the move.
THE agent of Andrei Arshavin has revealed his client could have been on his way to Arsenal, only for his wage demands to put Arsene Wenger off of a move for the Russian. The Zenit St Petersburg playmaker's future has been one of the longest running sagas
SPURS attempts to sign former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan appear dead in the water. The agent of the Atletico Madrid frontman claims his client is happy in the Spanish capital, to quash any speculation linking him as a possible replacement
FOOTBALL Waltham Abbey 5 Witham 1 (Ryman One North) WALTHAM ABBEY got their league campaign at home off to a cracking start on Tuesday night with a five-star performance against Witham. The Abbotts got off to a flyer when Harry Elmes
A MILKMAN who was making a delivery to a primary school had to jump from his vehicle when it caught fire. Flames consumed the milkfloat at around 7.15am this morning in the playground of Avon House School on Woodford High Road, South Woodford
ATHLETICS WOODFORD Green men's team secured second place in the BAL premiership with a solid second place in the final fixture of the season. The team finished on 27 points, behind winners Newham on 32 points, and ahead of Sale on 22
WEST HAM skipper Lucas Neill has held "preliminary" talks with the club over extending his contract. The Australia international is approaching the end of the 30-month deal he signed in January 2007. Neill arrived from Blackburn Rovers
ARSENAL forward Theo Walcott has insisted England need to put everything into their friendly match with Czech Republic tonight and treat it like a 'cup final.' Walcott, who has been selected in coach Fabio Capello's squad for the match after impressing
A WOMAN is fighting for her life after being hit by a car while crossing the road. The accident, at 7.59am today, happened at the junction of Kings Road and Larkshall Road, in Chingford. A stretch of Kings Road remains closed.
THE Abbey Pride scheme which encourages businesses in Waltham Abbey to develop good window displays to encourage tourism and trade should be expanded across Essex, a business group has said. The FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) has praised the scheme
ORIENT manager Martin Ling has stepped up his quest to sign a left winger and central defender before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month. The O's boss, however claims that his search hasn't intensified just because the east Londoners
EIGHT MONTHS is a long time in football - just ask West Ham's Calum Davenport. The defender was facing the Upton Park scrapheap not so long ago. Out in the cold and shipped out on loan to Watford in January, he suffered a horrific broken neck
FORMER Spurs legend Chris Waddle believes his big-spending former club will still struggle to secure a Champions League spot this season. The north Londoners have spent a staggering £40million this summer, but Waddle who was a fan favourite at White
WEST Ham United's Mark Noble helped England's Under-21 side secure a hard-fought friendly victory over Slovenia last night. Meanwhile, Basildon-born Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Michael Kightly was an impressive half-time substitute as the
FORMER Spurs star Chris Waddle has tipped Tottenham new boy David Bentley to become a star with England. The new £15million arrival from Blackburn is thought to be the long-term successor to David Beckham on the right-hand side of midfield, and ex-England
NIGEL Quashie and James Collins both made successful comebacks from injury as West Ham United drew 2-2 with Queen's Park Rangers in a behind-closed-doors friendly. As exclusively revealed by the Echo on Tuesday morning, the pair each completed
ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger is reported to be making a sensational last-ditch move to sign Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre. The 31-year-old French international, had according to the Sun been set to join United's bitter-rivals, but it
AN attention seeker who caused an innocent man to be locked up when she cried rape has been jailed for 12 months. Kerry Saunders, 26, of Goodmayes Lane, Ilford, was drunk when she was ordered to get out of a car on the A13 near Purfleet, Thurrock
THE mother of an autistic schoolboy who went missing after being allowed out of a mental health unit is to take her "battle for justice" to Parliament. James Wilson, 16, of Baddow Close in Woodford Green, disappeared after staff at Brookside
