Latest news with #Harwich
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
WW2 children mark 85 years since evacuation from Essex
Former child evacuees who are now in their 90s have attended an 85th anniversary event to mark the day they hopped on a train from east to west England during World War Two. Harwich Town Station was the venue to mark their evacuation from Harwich and Dovercourt in Essex, when children were moved from urban areas that could be targets for bombing by 2 May 1940, some 1,200 local schoolchildren and 77 teachers had a 10-hour train journey with the promise of Edgar, 93, was eight years old when she was evacuated to Eyton in Herefordshire where she said she "loved" living on a farm. Ms Edgar said she gave her mum a kiss before getting the train. She returned home four years later aged day of the evacuation had a normal start."We just went to school as normal with our little case and gas masks," she said."And then we had to all march down the main road to Dovercourt station. "I remember her kissing me goodbye, but I can't remember if that was before we left or at the school. But they weren't allowed to come with us."On the way across country, she said it was a very hot day and she was wearing a big winter coat because thick clothes would have been too heavy for the children to carry. John Durrant, 96, was evacuated from Wrabness, just along the railway line west of Harwich. He was 11 when he was sent to Gloucestershire and said: "I knew what was happening; I knew the war was on;, I heard sirens at night."I didn't really want to go, but we were all shoved on."Mr Durrant said he found a way to get home to Essex after he overheard that the port had been bombed and wanted to check to see if his parents were he returned, he realised his parents were unscathed."I was at a very impressionable age at the time. I knew the dangers, I knew we were being sent to a safe place," he added. David Whittle, curator of Harwich Museum, put the event together alongside Steve Delves, assistant Whittle said the children were at real risk and added: "Harwich could have been invaded, this was just after Dunkirk."It was imperative that the children left."This port is the closest port to Germany and therefore there could have been an invasion. It could have been vessels coming in and out."They might have bombed the harbour."After the journey, Mr Whittle said the children then had the ordeal of being picked by a prospective foster parent. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
New defence plans could lead to ‘significant cuts' in other areas, MPs warn
The Defence Secretary has said the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) is 'not about cuts', amid concerns the plans will be funded at the expense of existing programmes. John Healey said the Government has 'already committed the funds' for the 62 recommendations outlined in the review, as MPs scrutinised the proposals on Monday. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge branded the review an 'empty wish list', telling MPs: 'They haven't got a plan to fund it.' Meanwhile, Conservative MP Sir Bernard Jenkin said he was concerned 'significant cuts' would have to be made to increase defence spending to 3% of gross domestic product, in line with the Government's plans. Speaking in the Commons, Mr Cartlidge said: 'For the Treasury to approve a plan, it will have to feature billions of pounds of cuts to existing MoD (Ministry of Defence) programmes and so this SDR has dodged the big decisions on existing capabilities. 'Can the Secretary of State confirm that the so-called defence investment plan, to be published in the autumn, will set out the cuts needed for the Treasury to agree a plan to get to 3%? Details we should have had today in the SDR.' In his reply, Mr Healey said: 'I have no doubt that we will meet our ambition to hit 3% of spending on defence in the next Parliament.' 'We're committed to spending what we need to deliver this review,' he added. Sir Bernard, MP for Harwich and North Essex, said: 'The document says this will allow us to grow our nuclear-powered attack submarine fleet to up to 12. Isn't the truth, and let's speak the truth, that this is the ask to the Treasury? 'The spending review is yet to decide what the defence programme will actually be. 'I hear what he says when he says with his full force and sincerity that, quote 'we will fund this defence review', but how is he going to achieve that without very much more significant cuts in other budgets? Because this Government, and no government, can afford to spend much more and borrow much more if anything at all.' Mr Healey replied: 'This is an investment that we're making now in the production capacity, so that we can build at a faster rate, we can have a double production line in Barrow, that will allow us to build new subs to meet the number of subs we'll need in the future to deter the threats that we'll face, meet our Nato commitments and I'm glad that he welcomes it.' Conservative former chancellor Sir Jeremy Hunt asked: 'What is the difference between the Chancellor's black hole and the Defence Secretary accepting 62 recommendations from the SDR without committing the funds to pay for them?' Mr Healey replied: 'Because the Prime Minister and the Government have committed the funds, we've committed the funds, we've built them into the terms of reference that allow this SDR over the next 10 years and beyond to be delivered.' Conservative former minister Danny Kruger said: 'The Defence Secretary has just thrown into doubt the future of the new medium helicopter. I'm very concerned to hear that that programme, clearly, may not go ahead. 'Could he just tell the House whether he plans to reduce the number of RAF Chinooks? Which, as he knows, are very important, both to our special forces and to our army.' Mr Healey urged the MP for East Wiltshire 'not to read what he has into my remarks', adding: 'I was simply stating the facts as they are, that there is a process underway that has got to conclude.' He continued: 'This review is not about cuts. It's the first review since the end of the Cold War, which has not been taken in the context of cuts, but in the context of a decade of rising defence expenditure. 'It's about enhancing what we have for the future. It's about building out, not hollowing out. And I hope he'll take that as the signature for the Strategic Defence Review that we've published this afternoon.' Conservative MP for North Cotswolds and chairman of the public accounts committee, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, pressed Mr Healey to publish the investment plan so the committee can 'examine whether the funds match the equipment that he's talked about today, so that this ambitious plan can be delivered and is affordable'. Mr Healey confirmed it would be published 'in the autumn'. Conservative former minister Dame Caroline Dinenage raised concerns about the future of the training estate. The MP for Gosport said: 'Could he confirm that the outstanding training establishments at HMS Sultan and HMS Collingwood, which employ so many, will not be under threat?' Mr Healey replied: 'We are doing further work on the nature and the needs for our defence estate, it's right that we do that, because we have a long-term view now we'll be able to take better, long-term decisions on that.' Elsewhere in the session, Labour MP Richard Burgon argued proposals in the SDR could make the UK 'less safe'. The Leeds East MP said: 'These 12 new nuclear-powered AUKUS submarines almost double the UK's fleet of such submarines. Given these submarines are to be shared with non-nuclear Australia, doesn't this go against the UK's obligations under the non-proliferation treaty? 'And as they are part of the AUKUS treaty, a treaty with the USA as well as Australia, and focused in the Asia-Pacific, doesn't this risk adding to the growing tensions developing between the USA and China and make us all less safe?' Mr Healey replied: 'No and no. The AUKUS partnership is entirely consistent with the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and our obligations. And no, because it reinforces the regional stability and security, it reinforces regional deterrence, makes conflict less likely, not more likely.'
CBS News
13-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Sundae School ice cream shop on Cape Cod may be torn down for housing project
Ice cream-lovers' hearts are melting in Harwich. The beloved Sundae School Homemade Ice Cream shop on Route 28 which opens later this week may soon be gone. "It is upsetting because it is the go-to ice cream place in Harwich," Hailey Davis of Harwich said. Housing project planned Developers are planning to tear down the well-known ice cream shop on Cape Cod and replace it with a 28-unit housing project. Sundae School has another location in Dennisport. Mark Waldman lives right next door. The proposed development project would have a direct impact to his property. "It's just been part of our lives for almost 25 years both of my kids worked here. It's not ideal for us but I understand it. It's a lot of land with tiny little footprint," Waldman said. Barbara and Bob Nickerson's home across the street from the ice cream shop has been in their family since 1880. "We just wish they would consider the size of the unit, the whole building a little bit and come down and make it not three stories but two stories," Bob Nickerson said. "An iconic spot" The Harwich Port location opened in 1998 and sold to new ownership in 2023. Residents say they were originally told the ice cream shop would stay. "The actual character of it is very like Cape Cod ice cream shop kind of energy. When you walk in, it's just very reminiscent of another time," Davis said. "That sad because it's just an iconic spot." Most of the residents WBZ spoke with understand that change is inevitable, but they will certainly miss their go-to ice cream spot and all their favorite flavors that go along with it. It is set to open in just a few days so folks will enjoy it for at least one more year. There will be a planning board meeting Tuesday night where members will listen to a site review and special permit. Sundae School was the winner of the WBZ Ice Cream Social in 2021.
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Essex Book Festival announces Shami Chakrabarti in its line-up
A month-long book festival has announced its line-up, including writers and rights activist and Labour peer Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, novelist Abi Daré and Labour MP Diane Abbott are among the writers who will appear at the Essex Book across the county, the event is set to feature about 250 writers and Green, festival director, said: "It is an opportunity for people to visit some truly intriguing - some might say unusual - locations for a book/literary festival." The annual festival is taking place in more than 35 venues across Essex. Ex-University of Essex student Sir Ben Okri will be launching the festival at Harwich's Electric Palace Cinema on 28 Green said: "Given the nature of the 'beast', it's almost impossible to encapsulate the huge range of festival events and activities that will be taking place across Essex." Daré is set to talk about her latest book And So I Roar at Grays Library on 3 June. Chakrabarti will be speaking to Pam Cox, Labour MP for Colchester, about her book Human Rights: The Case for The Defence at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford on 5 Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, will be visiting the University of Essex in Colchester the following day to talk about her new memoir A Woman Like Me. The events are due to be held in Harwich, Thurrock, Colchester, Chelmsford, Shenfield and Maldon from 28 May to 30 June. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Almost half of Essex gym group show early prostate cancer signs
A group of senior gym-goers who got their prostates checked at roughly the same time were shocked to find almost half of them had early signs of nine men meet regularly to work out at Harwich and Dovercourt Rugby Club in of them displayed early signs and two of them needed further Chilver, who needed radiotherapy, told BBC Essex that if he had not been checked "I might not be here now". The 78-year-old said: "The cancer was quite close to the outside of the prostate and it could have spread to the outside of the body and that is not treatable. "It is a bit frightening."Mr Chilver also needed hormone therapy and his friend Robbie Good, 62, is being monitored after his high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate gland.A high PSA level does not mean you have cancer but is a warning sign which can then lead to further scans and tests to rule out the risk of the cancer among men increases with age, and is more prevalent among black disease affects one in eight men according to Prostate Cancer Chilver was the first to get checked after attending an event put on by men's health charity the group of men got checked, the rugby club's chairman Sean Mills said he had spread awareness on the Booth is a retired urological surgeon and is now clinical director at CHAPS. He also lives in Dedham near Booth said the results among this group of friends was "surprising"."The events we run - we reckon to pick up two cancers for every 100 men that we test and nearly all of the cancers that we pick up are early cancers and curable ones."Men over the age of 50 are entitled to a free PSA test through their GP. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
