News in Thurrock

IN the latest monthly contribution from Thurrock Camera Club, Nub News readers are given advice about still life by experts from the club, which is moving ever closer to its centenary celebrations which are poised to begin later this month, running through to next year.

The club recently met for the first time since the Covid pandemic lockdown eased and are now gearing up to mark the special year.

PEOPLE will be dancing in the street in Grays tomorrow (Friday, 10 September) to mark a special day for mental health.

The locally-based Reach Out for Mental Health organisation will be marking World Suicide Prevention Day by dancing in the street close to the Beehive Resource Centre

ORMISTON Park Academy in Aveley, which is part of Ormiston Academies Trust (OAT), has hired professional basketball player and European Championship finalist Diana Naydenova as its new basketball coach.

Ms Naydenova brings with her a wealth of experience, including over 25 years playing for professional teams in Italy and Croatia, as well as for the Bulgarian National Team.

THURROCK Over Fifties Forum will be meeting next week for the first time since the imposition of the Covid-19 lockdown.

The forum, known as TOFF, will host an open meeting at the Beehive Resource Centre on West Street in Grays on Monday, 13 September, starting at 10am and running until a free Ploughman's Lunch at noon.

THE fundraising exploits of a Thurrock teacher have once again surpassed expectations and resulted in an impressive donation to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Last week Nub News reported on a planned wing walk by Veronique Surry-Kaise, which she has now completed, raising almost double her £300 fundraising target.

THERE will be more disruption to local traffic and busy roads in the Thurrock area this weekend with the latest significant closure of the A13 for works in connection with Thurrock Council's road widening project.

The council is calling on drivers not to use the villages of Horndon on the Hill and Orsett and other rural routs as 'rat runs' and is instead suggesting 'non-local' motorists should make the more significant detour via the A127.

AN artist whose commemorative exhibition of the Windrush generation at the London Cruise Terminal at Tilbury has been vandalised has pledged to keep the artwork going and open to the public to mirror the spirit and resilience of those who arrived at the port more than 73 years ago.

The damaged elements of the exhibition will not be repaired, to highlight the ongoing issues relating to acceptance of the black and ethnic British community.

Barking 1, Aveley 1

AN equaliser from Jon Nzengo earned Aveley a replay in their FA Cup First Qualifying tie against Barking this evening (Tuesday, 7 September)

A MAN has been jailed for eight months and disqualified from driving for more than three years after crashing into trees on the A13 and badly injuring one of his passengers.

Hakeem Lewis-Harrison careered off the road after missing the exit slip on the A13 onto the A1089 at Grays at about 1am on 19 February.

A Police officer working in Thurrock has spoken from the heart about the fight to get drugs off the streets of the borough.

PC Emma Ridings has been based in Grays for the past two years as one of the Essex police Operation Raptor officers, a specialist team who dismantle county lines drugs gangs.