ONE YEAR AGO

September 12, 2007

A teenager completed her GCSEs just a few months ago, and now she is teaching at her old school.

Charlotte Warren, 16, was technically a pupil until just last month at Honywood Community Science School, Coggeshall.

Ben Magrath, who was Charlotte’s form tutor and is now her boss, said the school was looking to expand its support staff and the teenager was an ideal candidate.

* A husband and wife were threatened with a crowbar and screwdriver by masked raiders, who then ransacked their home before fleeing with thousands of pounds of money and jewellery.

The couple, of Wood Way, Great Notley, were woken up and forced into their living room by two men who then threatened them with violence.

TEN YEARS AGO

September 10, 1998

A man was subjected to a terrifying ordeal at the hands of three robbers as he travelled home on a train to Braintree.

The 22-year-old man was left severely shocked and feared for his life as his hour-long ordeal unfolded.

The three robbers boarded the same carriage of the 11.26pm Witham to Braintree train as the man and subjected him to a barrage of threats.

He was told to empty his pockets, forced to hand over personal items and told he would be shot if he attempted to leave the train.

When the train pulled in to Braintree station, the man was marched into the town centre and, under threat of violence, was ordered to withdraw money from a cash machine, before the gang fled.

* A walk with the dog turned into a nightmare when a woman was attacked by a swarm of angry wasps.

Builders at a site in Cuckoo Way, Great Notley Garden Village, faced being stung as they battled to help the woman and her dog, who were covered in wasps.

Workers took the woman – who was badly stung – to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, in a car and her Yorkshire terrier dog was taken to a vet.

A digger working at the site unearthed the wasps’ nest as the woman turned the corner on the path next to the site.

40 YEARS AGO

September 13, 1968

Many firms, shopkeepers and councils have decided to restrict the use of the 5d postal rate, which will be introduced on Monday, in the hope that the GPO will be forced to drop its new two-speed delivery system.

The chairman of Braintree Chamber of Trade said although no directive has been issued to members about the new system, he thought the general feeling was to continue to use the 4d service.

“Personally, I feel it is a piece of blackmail on the part of the Post Office to extort more money from the public,” he said.

* After four years of waiting and working, Witham Community Association saw its dream realised on Saturday – the official opening of the community centre.

The ceremonial unlocking of the door was carried out by Molly Clarke, Witham representative on Essex County Council.

50 YEARS AGO

September 11, 1958

A two-year-old girl from Feering drowned when she fell into Domsey Brook, Easthorpe, and was swept away under a culvert by flood water.

The toddler had been playing near the culvert, which passes under the dual carriageway from Feering to Marks Tey. The brook is usually only a tiny stream, but on Saturday it was a swirling torrent of muddy water following Friday's torrential storm.

* Despite a storm, Witham Horticultural Society’s annual show went on at the Maldon Road Recreation Ground.

About 1,000 people paid for admission to the show and they saw a good display of horticultural and floral exhibits, and some lovely entries in the hospital section.