Ben Shahrabi

Plume Academy students in Maldon achieved outstanding GCSE results, with Holly Holmes leading the cohort with six grade 9s and four grade 8s. Other high achievers included Sophia Brookes, Tom Doherty and Freddie Diddams, while academy leaders praised the year group’s resilience and commitment. Students are progressing to sixth forms, further education and vocational or creative opportunities, including volunteering at Colchester Hospital and performing in Dear Evan Hansen.

Sixteen-year-old Maldon entrepreneur Harrison Nott has built CoolTowel, a heat-relief product business launched on TikTok and Shopify, into a company reporting £1 million in revenue. With investment and promotional support from footballer Rio Ferdinand, Nott is pursuing international expansion and has been introduced to potential clients including FIFA and Qatar Airways. The business generated £500,000 in three days after social-media content filmed in the United States reached 100 million views, although costly agency support nearly caused its collapse. Nott also achieved strong GCSE results while managing a team of more than 20 people.

Family-run furniture shop Sofa King Comfy opened on Maldon High Street on August 7 in the premises formerly occupied by the Emporium. Owned by uncle and nephew Steven and Sam White, the shop mainly sells furniture made by UK manufacturers, including bedroom pieces produced in Tiptree, and displays work by Maldon artists. The owners aim to provide personal service and support local shopping, while the former Emporium has enabled smaller businesses to establish High Street premises.

PureGym at Blackwater Retail Park in Maldon was forced to close after a burst pipe caused flooding. Repair work is continuing, while affected members have been given free access to other PureGym branches across the UK. The neighbouring Card Factory store was also temporarily closed for cleaning and safety checks but reopened before 2pm on Saturday. The incident occurred during a period of extreme heat and dry weather, which can increase pressure on underground pipes and contribute to bursts.

Burnham rowers Dawn Smith and Paul Lore were towed ashore by the RNLI off Cornwall after exhaustion, strong tides and dangerous conditions prevented them from completing their 2,500-mile North Atlantic journey from Newfoundland to the UK. Smith, a former Marine Police skipper and experienced ocean rower, said she was devastated but praised the Penlee RNLI crew. The pair had spent up to 50 days at sea and were drifting toward a reef after making little progress against the tide. Supporters, including veterans' organisation Phoenix Heroes CIC, praised their achievement and welcomed their safe return.

Maldon District Council has served Persimmon Homes with a breach of conditions notice after residents near the Willows Reach development in Heybridge complained about clouds of dust, debris and noise. Council leader Simon Morgan warned that construction could be halted if the approved Construction Environmental Management Plan is not followed. Persimmon said it was delivering more than 20,000 litres of water daily for dust suppression and would continue working with the council to minimize disruption; a Health and Safety Executive visit reportedly resulted in no further action.

High-achieving students from Maldon’s Plume Academy are preparing for different next steps after receiving their A-level results. Jack Long secured a place to study computer science at Selwyn College, Cambridge, while his partner Amber Sawyer plans to take a gap year before auditioning for drama school. Raphael Maingot will study physics at Merton College, Oxford, while his friends Oliver Gozzett and Jack Simper will study physics with astrophysics at Warwick. The students describe a mixture of pride, nervousness and excitement about leaving familiar friends and beginning university or other new chapters.

Students at Plume Academy in Maldon are reported to have achieved the college’s best-ever A-Level and Level 3 results. Ashton Peake achieved four A* grades and will study economics at the London School of Economics, while Jack Long and Raphael Maingot are progressing to the universities of Cambridge and Oxford respectively. Chloe Crisp achieved an A* in law and two A grades and has secured a solicitor apprenticeship at Brights Solicitors. Academy leaders praised students, staff, parents and carers for their hard work and support.

More than 15,000 children and young people across Essex are taking part in the free Read to the Beat Summer Reading Challenge, which links reading with music and creativity. Galleywood Library has attracted more than 90 participants, with staff reporting higher numbers than last year. Organised by The Reading Agency, the challenge has generated 2.3 million books read nationally so far and is intended to encourage reading for pleasure and maintain children's learning during the summer holidays. It runs until 5 September at Essex libraries and mobile libraries.