ONE YEAR AGO

December 12, 2007

A newspaper delivery girl was described as a role model for other youngsters by a town councillor.

Jessica Rodda, of Pelly Avenue, Witham, had to have her arm in a sling after falling from a skateboard, but did not miss a day delivering newspapers to the Maidment Crescent area of the town, despite her injury.

A town councillor on his way home from work spotted Jessica, 15, delivering newspapers, even though she had her arm in a sling.

He said: “That shows such dedication and a lot of youngsters out there would not be going around working if they were so poorly.

“It showed an attitude like people in the old days, real dedication and she is a role model for other youths.”

* Pupils at a secondary school have helped the environment by planting more than 70 trees.

Year ten pupils from Honywood Community Science School, Coggeshall, planted the trees on an area of woodland in the school grounds.

The work at the woodland site was started three years ago as part of the Trident Gold Award, an extra-curricular scheme which is recognised by employers.

TEN YEARS AGO

December 10, 1998

Campaigners have been celebrating the reprieve of the William Julien Courtauld Hospital, Braintree, following a major U-turn by hospital bosses.

The North Essex Health Authority announced it was withdrawing all its proposals to close the hospital.

News of the dramatic climbdown brought an ecstatic response from campaigners who had fought so hard to save the London Road hospital.

* Urgent action has been called for in an area of Braintree condemned as being unsightly and unsafe to walk through at night.

A spokesman for a dental practice in St Michael’s Lane has called for surveillance cameras and lighting to reassure the pubic who use the lane as a short-cut to the town centre.

He said: “The public need to have safe conduct through this area and lights and a cameras would achieve this objective.

“The police are short-staffed and, of course, they cannot be everywhere all of the time. The council want to encourage people to come to the town, but it has to be safe.”

40 YEARS AGO

December 13, 1968

A closed-circuit television system, the first in Braintree, has been installed in Vogue Man’s Shop in Coggeshall Road by proprietor Francis Golightly in an attempt to beat shoplifters.

Customers entering the shop now see a large painted sign saying “Smile, please, you’re on closed circuit TV”.

* Two teenage girls were “larking about”, banging on the plate glass window of Braintree Co-operative Society’s supermarket in Bocking End and trying to knock items off the shelves, but they accidentally broke the window, causing almost £60 damage.

A 17-year-old girl from Braintree was given a one-year conditional discharge and a 16-year-old Braintree girl was placed on probation for two years. They both admitted committing wilful damage and were ordered to pay £19 16s 3d compensation.

50 YEARS AGO

December 11, 1958

A man fell 15 feet from his bedroom window, but was only slightly cut about the face and bruised.

The man, of Church Street, Bocking, was detained in Black Notley Hospital, although his injuries were only described as “superficial”.

It appears he slipped and fell out of his open bedroom window at 5.30am, breaking several panes of glass.

* An appeal for £10,000 for restoration work at St John Baptist Church, the parish church of Finchingfield, was launched at a church supper.

Sixty people attending were welcomed by the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Sir John Ruggles-Brise.