Emma Palmer

A partial solar eclipse prompted widespread excitement in Essex, with experts warning that viewing the Sun without certified protective glasses can cause permanent eye damage. The piece reviews major British eclipses, including Edmond Halley’s 1715 eclipse and the 1927 event, before recounting the 1820 case of Fingringhoe schoolmaster John Cole, who reportedly regained sight in a long-blind eye while watching an eclipse. The account became widely known but lacks definitive medical or scientific proof.

The article recounts Essex POW Ken’s experiences in Japanese captivity during the Second World War, including torture, starvation, disease and forced labour on the Burma Railway, and his killing of a guard after liberation. It places his story alongside other accounts of Far East prisoners, including Eric Lomax’s later reconciliation with a former torturer, the reunions of Chelmsford servicemen, and the suffering and deaths of Essex men and women in the Burma campaign. It also highlights the scale of Allied captivity and mortality under Japanese forces and previews a Clacton VJ Day service honoring veterans, the fallen and their families.

Left-handed people once faced severe stigma, including forced retraining, physical punishment and, in rare cases, witchcraft accusations. The article traces this history through the 1626 case of Joan Wright in Virginia, then highlights prominent left-handed figures including Alan Turing, Leonardo da Vinci and Neil Armstrong. It also discusses the everyday difficulties of living in a right-handed world and estimates that 9–12% of people are left-handed. A story about Essex resident Margery Everett shows how an offer of spare left-hand gloves led to friendship and practical support for an impoverished, isolated widow in London.

A 1976 fire destroyed the shore-end amusements of Southend Pier and caused about £1 million in damage, coming close to ending the landmark’s existence. Around 500 people escaped without loss of life, while firefighters, rescue crews and a crop-spraying aircraft worked to contain the blaze. The disaster intensified longstanding debate over the pier’s declining finances, maintenance costs and relevance amid the rise of foreign package holidays. Public affection, political support and insurance funding ultimately led to rebuilding with more modern materials and fire precautions, allowing the pier to survive and remain a central part of Southend’s identity.

Neighbours actor Alan Fletcher, best known as Dr Karl Kennedy, will perform with The Alan Fletcher Band at the free Brightlingsea Music Festival in Essex. In an interview, Fletcher discusses his decades on the Australian soap, his close friendships with former co-stars, his preference for writing and performing his own music, and touring with his wife Jennifer Hansen. The band's Americana, alt-country and rhythm-and-blues-influenced music includes relationship-focused duets, while Fletcher plans further UK dates and international travel after the tour.

Training ships such as the Exmouth took in boys from age 12, including orphans, children from poorhouses and boys sent there after offending. Moored off Grays in Thurrock, the Exmouth provided food, discipline and vocational instruction in sailing, rowing, rope-making, gunnery, signalling and other skills intended to prepare boys for the Royal Navy or merchant shipping. Historical records show that many boys gained weight and secured maritime employment, although others failed Navy entry requirements because of height or eyesight. The ship also exposed children to severe discipline, illness, accidents, escape attempts and fatal falls or drownings. The original wooden Exmouth was scrapped in 1905 and replaced by a steel vessel, while roughly 15,000 boys trained there between 1876 and 1918. One notable former trainee was Sydney Chaplin, who later became an actor and manager of his brother Charlie Chaplin and supported former Exmouth boys by inviting them to his 1926 film premiere.