Keeping your home safe from fire is an important part of living safe and well That’s why we offer free Home Safety Visits to all residents across Essex Have you ever considered becoming an on-call firefighter Ingatestone Fire Station is on the lookout for new recruits - and this could be your opportunity to get involved On-call firefighters are everyday people who play an extraordinary role in supporting their community They live or work within five minutes of their local fire station and are ready to respond to emergencies whenever needed Many manage their fire service commitment around their full-time jobs and live or work within five minutes of Ingatestone Fire Station you could get paid to serve your community as an on-call firefighter Visit join.essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call to find out more and apply Sign up to receive news and updates from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service Essex County Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters Request a fire report or make a Freedom of Information request here Make compliments and complaints here Greater Anglia has unveiled a blue plaque in honour Dorothy Wadham Staff collaborated with the Essex Women’s Commemorative Project (EWCP) to install the blue plaque at Ingatestone station The land on which the station stands was once owned by Sir William Petre a new ticket office that reflected the architecture of Ingatestone Hall The rear of the building was then rejuvenated by Greater Anglia between 2015 and 2017 after it required significant repairs a blue plaque for Dorothy Wadham has been erected Dorothy Wadham was born into a wealthy more than four centuries ago She was raised by the second wife of Sir William Petre and is likely to have been educated at Ingatestone Hall her husband Nicholas Wadham died leaving his fortune to Dorothy and strict instructions to endow a college in Oxford She was the first woman who was not a member of the royal family or titled aristocracy to found a college at either Oxford or Cambridge Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager said:“We hope that the blue plaque it will add something special to the station and encourage more passengers to venture out there read from the history boards and learn about Dorothy’s connection with Ingatestone Hall.” “Erecting this blue plaque during the celebrations for Railway 200 is a great way to highlight how much Greater Anglia values the local community’s support for the railways.” lead councillor on the project for Ingatestone and Fryerning Parish Council said: “Ingatestone and Fryerning Parish Council are delighted to have been involved in this worthy project commemorating the historic achievements of many Essex women “Dorothy Wadham was an extraordinary and forwarded thinking woman who lived in Ingatestone and founded Wadham College It is only fitting that a blue plaque recognising her legacy is installed in her home village and we thank Greater Anglia for their support in siting it at Ingatestone Station.” The Essex Women’s Commemorative Project (EWCP) is a small project team set up in 2021 by the Lord-Lieutenant of Essex Its aim is to identify inspirational women of Essex who have been overlooked by history and are worthy of visible public recognition The plaque will be officially unveiled by the Lord Lieutenant of Essex on 16 April at Ingatestone at 12:00 The event will be hosted by local organisations including the Ingatestone and Fryerning Parish Council Rail Business Daily’s market leading news and profile enhancement services enable your business to tell your story to the wider rail community Engage with thousands of readers via our rail news platforms including the hugely popular 7am newsletter rail news website and Rail Director magazine you agree to us sending you emails on behalf of railbusinessdaily.com Crews have extinguished a caravan fire in Ingatestone We were called to Stock Road today (Tuesday 1 April) at 9.28pm and crews found a static caravan measuring approximately 8 metres by 4 metres Ingatestone and Brentwood attended and extinguished the fire by 10.25pm The caravan interior was completely destroyed Watch Manager Brett Sheridan said: "Crews were faced with a limited water supply and worked hard to extinguish the fire quickly "The occupant was asleep but luckily woke up and was able to get out although he did suffer burns to his hands and smoke inhalation "We do not believe there were working smoke alarms so the incident is a reminder to make sure you have smoke alarms even in small spaces like caravans." Get in touch with our home fire safety team at essex-fire.gov.uk/book or by calling 0300 303 0088 The occupant was left in the care of the Ambulance Service It is believed an electric heater set fire to bedding Many of the firefighters who attended this incident are on-call firefighters who all live or work within five minutes of an on-call fire station and attend incidents If you live or work within five minutes of an on-call fire station Find out more about the role here In the quaint Essex village of Ingatestone there are plenty of gorgeous cafes and eateries for lunch and drinks since The Anchor fish & chip shop was wrecked by a huge fire last year there aren't many takeaway options available One Essex man has set out to change that - and added a unique factor to his takeaways Bobby Clarke is the founder of Bobby's Fish & Chips a completely gluten-free takeaway that tastes just as good - if not better - than your regular fish and chip takeaways the Lounge Wine Bar in Ingatestone began to host Bobby's on Tuesdays and Wednesdays - and the response has been phenomenal Read more: Plans for 380 new 'affordable' homes - but residents say the towers would be “monstrous” Read more: Frontman of iconic rock band The Who to play huge outdoor show in Essex this summer which put him in a really bad mental state and decided to make a big step to improve his own wellbeing He decided to create his own chippy business - and this has gone completely from strength to strength particularly since its launch in Ingatestone Bobby said: "As my partner has Coeliac disease we have always found that ordering a take away that we can all enjoy is practically impossible I had started to recreate our favourite take-aways at home using gluten free ingredients that were tasty and safe for all of us fish and chips took priority as it has always been a favourite "I developed a gluten free and dairy free recipe that was so good we cooked it for friends and friends being friends you could sell this!" So we thought we would give it a try." On the business' first day in Ingatestone and has received nothing but glowing praise from customers His goal was to remove any stigma around food allergies and show people that being gluten-free is not just a trend - and that gluten free food can also be absolutely delicious and what the future holds for the business He said: "My long term dream is to have a food van This will enable me to make our food even more accessible to our local community and to showcase our food at local events where eating can be so difficult for people with allergies "It has always been my dream to have my own business and what better way to do that than by doing something you love every day that provides for so many lovely local people who have gone without fish and chips for so long!" The eatery has got nothing but glowing reviews on Facebook Candy Jackson said: "We went to the lounge bar in Ingatestone yesterday and had a taste of bobbys fish and chips and omg what can I say If I could give more than a 5 star I would "The staff and Bobby were very professional the food was so fresh and hot and they made us all feel very welcome My kids said its the best chip shop food they have ever tasted." Lolly Blanco added: "After months of being poorly and worrying about food and trying to find places that were suitable my daughter was so happy to finally be able to have gluten free battered sausage and chips "We all ordered from Bobby’s, the fish and chips were delicious and my son loved the chicken strips. It was so lovely to be able to enjoy a takeaway as a family and one that was suitable for my daughter without the worry of cross contamination and her becoming poorly." Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right grateful thanks to all the participants for raising funds for our school and church Thank you to the medical team who I’m pleased to say had nothing to do and to the team at Adventure Plus for getting everyone down safely." arrow_circle_right Find out more information We'd love to see your selfies with people at church events like baptisms If you have a picture and a link to a story on your social media or website A tight-knit local community celebrated the 175th anniversary of its railway station – described as a “taste of the kingdom of heaven” by the Bishop of Chelmsford civic dignitaries and over 100 residents took part in the special event at Ingatestone railway station on Sunday 12 May Amongst the attendees were former Olympic gold medallist Lord Eric Pickles and the Bishop of Chelmsford allowed the Eastern Counties Railway to run through his land He insisted that the station was built in the current location to his design – in a style that mirrored his Tudor ancestral home a cottage near the railway served as the station building was one of the guests of honour at the anniversary celebrations Speeches were given by Greater Anglia engineering director Martin Beable the acting chair of Ingatestone and Fryerning Parish Council Presentations were given to two of the station team by The Railway Heritage Trust executive director Andy Savage Network Rail head of communications Kate Snowden The Bishop of Chelmsford blessed the station and one of the parish council’s longest serving members unveiled a commemorative plaque donated by the council Greater Anglia’s station volunteer adopter Robert Fletcher put on an exhibition with fascinating facts and photos from the station’s history Musical entertainment was provided by the Anglo European school where many pupils use the station on their journey to and from school said: “It’s tremendous to see how fond the Ingatestone community is of our station and the people who work there I think the fact that so many people celebrated is testament to how much the community appreciates them.” Lord Petre said: “We locals greatly value our railway station and the succession of friendly and helpful staff who have run it – a tradition that Steve Wills and his team continue excellently to maintain “I feel particularly honoured to be included in the celebrations as relations between my great-great-great-grandfather who provided the land on which the station stands and the Great Eastern Railway Company were not of the warmest.” acting chair of Ingatestone and Fryerning Parish Council said: “Ingatestone and Fryerning Parish Council is honoured to be a part of the station’s 175th anniversary celebrations and will unveil a new plaque that will hang in the main ticket hall “We are proud of our station’s heritage and would like to thank the hardworking station staff for their invaluable service to our community.” said: “Even though I only travel from Ingatestone Station to London once or twice a week “I can think of few other places where the customer service is of such a high standard You get a taste of the kingdom of heaven at the ticket office of a railway station.” Kate Snowden said: “Celebrating Ingatestone’s 175th birthday with so many residents staff and rail supporters was very special It’s such an exciting time for the railway in Anglia with new trains and a record level of investment over the next five years but we must never forget that we are also custodians of our railway heritage It’s obvious that Ingatestone has a special place in people’s hearts and it was a real pleasure to be part of that community spirit.” Andy Savage said: “It has been a pleasure to be involved in restoring this fine Victorian station and bringing previously redundant buildings back to life.” Last year there were about 780,000 passenger journeys to and from Ingatestone station which is on the mainline to London and is served by at least two trains an hour during the day The Sunday TimesThe turbulence of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 — not to mention the ups and downs of the ITV reality show The Only Way Is Essex (Towie) — have left no mark on Ingatestone a peaceful spot ten minutes’ drive from the historic town of Brentwood where Wat Tyler led his band of protesters and Joey Essex bedded his co-star Here you can catch a train home from the City (with wi-fi) and be in fields of fresh air within half an hour It is picture-postcard pretty (there’s a smattering of timber frames and traditional weatherboards) and it’s a short walk to miles and miles of surrounding farmland which hosts ancient woodlands and hedgerows teeming with wildlife Network Rail will carry out emergency works to the embankment at Ingatestone this weekend on the Great Eastern Main Line owing to damage that has closed one of the lines causing a dip in the tracks on the line out of London towards Norwich The line from Norwich into London is still open and is being closely monitored This means that a reduced service is running on the main line and branch line services to Clacton Colchester Town and Harwich are also affected Remedial works are ongoing and are expected to finish early next week A further update will be sent out on Monday (25 January) Passengers are advised to check Greater Anglia’s website or app for the latest travel information Passengers should also follow government advice and only travel for work if essential or for other legally permitted reasons Engineering works were already scheduled to take place on the line this weekend with a rail replacement bus service arranged between Witham and Newbury Park tube station said: “Our teams have been on site since last night and we will be working 24/7 to reopen the line as soon as it is safe to do so I am sorry for the disruption this will cause to passengers While we’ll try and keep noise to a minimum some this work to rectify the embankment will be noisy I am sorry if this disturbs those living close by.” said: “We are running a reduced timetable for all services which travel through Ingatestone Customers should check before they travel and allow more time for their journey We will keep our website updated with any changes to our services “We apologise for the inconvenience caused. Anyone who is affected by the delays can claim compensation at www.greateranglia.co.uk/delayrepay “Government travel advice is currently to stay at home and only travel for legally permissible reasons such as work and medical appointments Information about what we are doing to keep passengers safe during the pandemic is on our website.” Passengers are advised to check www.greateranglia.co.uk for the latest travel information Will depart Liverpool Street on the hour and Clacton On Sea at 5 minutes past the hour And the reverse order for the opposite direction Will depart Liverpool Street at half past the hour and Norwich on the hour A train shuttle service will be operating between Witham and Braintree Will be served by Colchester to Walton On The Naze trains only First Essex local buses will pass Greater Anglia tickets between Colchester and Colchester Town on routes 61 to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years A £1500 donation from the Ingatestone Rotary Club was used to improve the recreational space By InYourArea Community · 20 August 2022 RIGHT ON CUE: Members will be able to enjoy a game or two in the new look snooker room (Image: Facebook) The Ingatestone Community Club has recently unveiled its new and improved snooker table and recreation room a delegation from the Ingatestone Rotary Club attended the event and a special gathering was enjoyed in the bar The improvements were able to take place following a £1,500 donation from the Rotary Club which is closely linked with the Ingatestone & Fryerning Community Association (IFCA) and the funds were donated from the proceeds of the Christmas Market that took place last year Lilian Hunter, chair of the IFCA that runs the community club on the High Street in Ingatestone gave a speech thanking the Rotary Club for all the support they have shown them over the years the event was attended by trustees Teresa Ravenscroft and Tom O’Connor The refurbishment of the snooker table baizes and cushions have now been completed and members are getting ready to take on John The next Ingatestone Christmas Market will be held on Sunday, December 11, and more information about the IFCA can be found here. Get all the latest news, updates, things to do and more from Ingatestone, Essex dedicated InYourArea feed LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} A £2.4 MILLION upgrade at Ingatestone station in Essex has been completed by operator Greater Anglia The work has involved restoration and repairs to station buildings and platform canopies electrical improvements including upgraded lighting improved toilets and refurbishment of the footbridge and the work to the 1844 buildings on the down platform builds on a previous scheme completed in 1988 Both platforms have also been resurfaced and repaired and widened where possible A £151,000 contribution from the Railway Heritage Trust has also enabled the heritage footbridge to be restored and the disused 1884 buildings on the station’s platform 2 to be renovated A separate scheme has also seen new cycle storage facilities installed Subscribe to Key Modern Railways now to access the wealth of information on offer completely ad free Subscribe now Key Publishing Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with Company Number 2713662 The plans follow approval of an outline application to build up to 110 homes on the site By Hannah Brown · 6 September 2021 Picture above: Illustrative image of what some of the house types could look like Details on plans to build 91 homes on the site of a former garden centre in Ingatestone Outline planning permission was previously granted on appeal to build up to 110 homes on the site of the now closed Ingatestone Garden Centre and Restaurant on Roman Road A reserved matters application detailing proposals for 91 homes on the site has now been submitted to Brentwood Borough Council by Redrow Homes Ltd that its proposals would “revitalise” the site “This reserved matters submission follows on from and is in full compliance with the outline planning permission that has been granted,” they said “The proposed development that is to be created will revitalise a site currently occupied by a dilapidated and unused garden centre to provide a range of new housing including affordable homes new open space amenity and play areas for existing and new residents as well as improving public access across the site and to the wider pedestrian network.” In the application’s planning documents it breaks down the proposed housing mix In the design and access statement it said: “The proposed mix of housing will allow a varying of densities across the site with a range of dwellings of differing size and tenure in order to accommodate a variety of household types “A hierarchy of new dwellings will be provided from large detached properties sitting in larger plots to apartment blocks through to smaller terraced blocks allowing for a varied and interesting street scene.” Parking provision for the proposed development includes 92 allocated spaces for houses 67 allocated spaces for apartment blocks - including five disabled parking spaces - and 21 garage spaces with a further 25 parking spaces for visitors Two play areas are also included in the plans with the first proposed to be an equipped play area suitable for young children and a second ‘natural play area’ containing ‘natural’ equipment such as boulders and natural timber logs rather than formal play equipment In the design and access statement it said: “[The natural play area] will facilitate incidental play allowing children to utilise and incorporate the natural environment in imaginative play “The arrangement of houses in proximity to the play areas will ensure the play areas as well as the open space as a whole is well-overlooked ensuring users feel comfortable and safe.” See the latest news, information, conversations and much more, all tailored to your neighbourhood, in your InYourArea live feed here A new Ingatestone wine bar will be able to serve outside close to residents’ homes until as late as 9pm after a licensing meeting heard that “allowing a few people to hold a thriving business to ransom is really not acceptable”. Concerns about the level of noise generated from the rear garden area of The Lounge wine bar had come after it asked for permission to increase the number of customers allowed at any one point and extend its opening hours by one hour. It means the maximum number of 24 customers has been scrapped and the bar can open until 10pm between Sunday and Wednesdays and 11pm Thursday to Saturdays. Windows and doors must be shut after 6pm and remain closed. But following concerns about outside noise Brentwood Borough Council has also conditioned that the external garden area has to be cleared of customers by 8pm Sunday to Thursday and by 9pm Friday and Saturday. The committee heard that people living in Clifton Terrace – a small mews at the rear of the high street property – were unhappy at the noise already being generated outside under the previous licence agreement and were concerned that this could be allowed even later. One resident said: “In June specifically I was not able to hear my television or I could hear the noise from the outside area. So my concern again is primarily with the noise from what’s described as a garden area.” Another added: “No one is opposing the wine bar or the opening of the wine bar. We’re objecting to the noise disruption from the outdoor area and the high probability it is going to get much worse under the proposed variations to the license. To us the wine bar faces the high street, the outdoor area is in very close proximity to residences there. When we moved in seven years ago it was a very quiet area there.” He added: “Even when there’s been a small number of people in the outdoor area of the wine bar it’s been so noisy my children can’t sleep. If the windows are open and it’s in the summer the windows are open. It gets louder as the evening progresses, of course. We’ve complained about noise a few times and I can only imagine what it’s like for the residents with bedrooms even closer.” However, Julie Bell, the new owner, who has been personally visited by the chief constable of Essex Police in recognition for the work she does in helping tackle domestic abuse, was defended vigorously during the meeting. Lucy Whittaker, former owner of Ingatestone Wines, which operated from the same address, told the meeting: “I would argue this is really just a very small group of people that live on the back of the high street that aren’t prepared to take what comes with living on the back of a thriving village. “And I think it would just be a travesty if they’re not able to operate as they are they’re incredibly respectful of the neighbours. But I think to be allowing a few people to hold a thriving business to ransom is really not acceptable.” About Latest Posts Piers Meyler Local Democracy Reporter Latest posts by Piers Meyler (see all) New unitary councils could see Tel: 07765530245 Email: sales@yellowad.co.uk Yellow Advertiser68 Crowhill,Godmanchester,Huntingdon,PE29 9NR Tel: 07765530245 Email: mickferris@yellowad.co.uk Colchester and London via Marks Tey/Braintree and Ingatestone over Easter are advised to check before they travel as Network Rail will carry out essential engineering work on Sunday 9 April and Monday 10 April Engineering work will continue on the mainline to facilitate construction activity for the new Beaulieu Park station wheel timber renewal work on Feering bridge in Kelvedon and track work at Witham to reduce risk of failures of switches and crossing (the moveable bits of track that allow trains to change tracks) and improve reliability for rail services To allow passengers to complete their journeys on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday a rail replacement bus service will replace trains between Ingatestone and Marks Tey Trains will operate between Norwich and Marks Tey between Clacton/Colchester Town and Colchester between Sudbury and Marks Tey & between Chelmsford and London (via Ingatestone) Much of the rail network will remain free of engineering work and open for travel during the Easter long weekend but with some early and late services being curtailed to allow extended overnight maintenance to take place Passengers travelling with Greater Anglia rail services are advised to check their plans with their train operator or on nationalrail.co.uk and leave extra time to complete their journey Katie Frost Network Rail’s route director for Anglia most of the network will be available for passengers to enjoy days out by rail throughout the Easter holidays should check how their journey might be affected I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out this important work for the new Beaulieu Park station and general track renewal work at Witham to improve reliability on this busy mainline said: “People can visit many great destinations by rail this Easter break there will still be some maintenance and upgrade schemes taking place These essential works will help improve rail travel in the region and we would like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while the improvements are being undertaken Rail replacement buses will operate so customers can complete their journeys Customers are advised to check before they travel and allow more time for their journeys.” Greater Anglia would like to remind customers that full-sized bicycles and e-scooters can not be carried on rail replacement buses Greater Anglia passengers are also advised to check their journey plans for May and the early and late May bank holidays if travelling between Marks Tey and Ingatestone as engineering work for the new station will continue to affect weekend rail services Brentwood MP Eric Pickles was in Ingatestone on Friday 25 March to see the newly completed underpass which allowed Network Rail to permanently close Ingatestone Hall footpath level crossing The crossing was identified in 2011 as having inadequate sighting when trains approached the decision was taken to close the public crossing immediately that same year and pedestrians used an alternative route crossing the railway Different ways to make the crossing safer were investigated such as clearing overgrown hedgerow lowering train speeds and diverting the footpath to a nearby under bridge after meeting Eric Pickles MP and holding a public meeting in May 2013 it was confirmed that an underpass would be installed to permanently replace the level crossing Work began soon after to build the £4.5m underpass underneath the railway tracks using a ‘box and jack’ method sliding the underpass under the railway while trains were still running over the top to avoid disrupting services Accompanying Mr Pickles on his visit were Richard Schofield Network Rail’s Anglia route managing director and other local representatives MP for Brentwood and Ongar said: “It took a little bit of time to convince Network Rail of the need for the ability to cross the rail lines using Footpath 37 but after some considerable pressure from local footpath users and my meeting with Network Rail in May last year the company has cracked on with the work needed which enables local people to access the beautiful countryside around Ingatestone has been restored with the building of this underpass and I am sure it will be used by walkers for decades to come.” said: “The completion of the new subway is great news for pedestrians in Ingatestone We have closed almost 100 level crossings in Anglia since 2010 and we will continue to close more by 2019 Safety is the number one priority for Network Rail and there is much more we can do to make level crossings safer “I’d like to thank local community for their patience during the construction of the subway and look forward to continue to work with them and the local authority in the future “A big thank you also goes to our partners at J Murphy & Sons Limited who worked tirelessly and with great professionalism to deliver this project on our behalf.” Network Rail continues looking to close level crossings wherever possible and provide an alternative way to cross the railway Anglia route now has over 800 level crossings Network Rail built a big concrete tube and ‘jack’ it (i.e Whilst temporary speed restrictions were in place for short durations trains were not cancelled as a result of this work Network Rail has pledged to close a further 500 crossings by 2019 investing more than £100m over this period as part of its ongoing programme of work to improve safety and reduce risk to passengers and the wider public Across the route 12 crossings have been upgraded with new footbridges whilst eight level crossings have been fitted with spoken warnings alerting users that another train is approaching when one has already passed through 5. Watch See Track: Think Train TV advert http://bit.ly/1gQ8VLA 6. For more information on Network Rail's programme of activity on level crossings including the education programme RailLife visit: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/level-crossings/ Areas slightly further out than the traditional commuter routes are likely to become hotspots if working from home becomes the new normal Homes & Property | Buying & Mortgages renting and decorating in London from our award-winning experts I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice Record numbers of Londoners are considering moving out of the city as we emerge from coronavirus lockdown – and now the stamp duty "holiday" in place until the end of March next year will save them thousands of pounds if they go ahead One in five Londoners has no private outside space so the cabin fever caused by months stuck at home has hugely increased enthusiasm for the great outdoors According to a study by estate agents Strutt & Parker one in three buyers wants to get out of the city Hamptons International reports that three out of every 20 buyers registering in its country offices are currently living in the capital – a record high The most popular buying location for exiting Londoners is Broxbourne borough in Hertfordshire In neighbouring Essex Epping Forest and Thurrock are popular options is seeing the most interest in Tandridge - which includes Caterham Oxted and Lingfield - as well as Reigate and Banstead buyers are dreaming of a new life in Aylesbury Vale These choices indicate that Londoners’ knee-jerk response is not to stray too far from central London But if working from home becomes the new normal “Areas slightly further out than the traditional commuter routes are likely to become hotspots and as they increase in popularity go up in value,” said buying agent Jonathan Bramwell we’ve got a few considering Tisbury in Wiltshire who said they previously would have thought it was too far.” According to Knight Frank the most affordable of the home counties is Essex where a three-bedroom house costs less than £400,000 – well below the new temporary £500,000 stamp duty threshold meaning buyers could save up to £15,000 in tax A lovely Essex option is the village of Ingatestone Trains to Liverpool Street take from 27 minutes and an annual season ticket costs £4,856 It is also less than four miles to Shenfield where commuters will be able to pick up Crossrail services to central London Chris White, property consultant at Period Homes said buyers love the village for its combination of accessibility and charm “It has got the old historic high street with mostly independent shops Locals head to Chelmsford for more choice of shops The nearest supermarket is four miles away in Billericay Families love the area because of its schools: Ingatestone Infants is “outstanding” according to Ofsted while the Anglo European School (secondary) is “good” Ingatestone’s charms make it one of Essex’s more expensive options but you can still buy a family home for about £600,000 If your country dream is more bustling then Hertford in Hertfordshire Londoners have long rated this market town with its quality centre and there’s kayaking and canoeing on the River Rib Schools are routinely excellent – the vast majority are rated either “outstanding” or “good” by Ofsted – while trains to Moorgate or Liverpool Street take just over 50 minutes and an annual season ticket costs £4,016 believes the number of Londoners heading to his home town will increase “massively” post lockdown “If you have got a flat worth £500,000 in London you can come to Hertford and get a three-bedroom house,” he said The supply teacher has been in lockdown with his mother in the family home in Walthamstow Central just in terms of having to stay at home all the time and the lack of interaction with other people,” he said “There is a lot of uncertainty and a lot of change and it has been quite hard.” The experience has changed Joel’s property-buying ambitions He was already feeling priced out of London, and during lockdown has been investigating a move out to Essex using online resources such as district34.com which helps first-time buyers identify locations they can afford and commute from Coronavirus has made Joel look at commuting in terms of being able to drive to work rather than taking the train He has homed in on either Harlow or Lakeside in Thurrock He estimates he could get into the classroom in around half an hour from either location When it comes to local amenities he is thinking about proximity to parks and open space “There has been a lot of emphasis placed on getting outdoors,” he said “If we have another pandemic in another couple of years He also feels that getting out of London might be a generally healthy move and that has got to be good for your wellbeing.” VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin David Beckham extends olive branch to son Brooklyn amid 'family feud' Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from her hospital bed after surgery Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from hospital Police investigating a burglary in Ingatestone have release images of four people they want to speak to The burglary took place at a property in Roman Road It was reported a set of vehicle keys had been taken from an address before a Grey Volkswagen Golf was stolen from outside the property If you recognise any of the individuals pictured, or know of their whereabouts, you can let police know by submitting a report at www.essex.police.uk/digital101 or by using the online Live Chat service available Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) between 10am-9pm you can contact independent charity on Twitter at @CrimestoppersUK by visiting their website or by calling 0800 555 111 About Latest Posts YA Reporter Latest posts by YA Reporter (see all) It happened today – this day in history