AS we all hope the ongoing pandemic is drawing to a close, many are looking forward to future plans.

Angie Jones' new book, Walks in The Slow Lanes of Essex, showcases some of the best walking routes in Essex.

We interview Kevin Bentley, Colchester councillor and new leader of Essex County Council, on his priorities for Essex.

STANSTED Airport is welcoming travellers back with a £70million baggage system revamp.

ESSEX Police are among the forces with the highest number of drugs seized, figures have revealed.

DRIVERS should be aware of long-term road closures on Mersea Island.

A CHEF has swapped kitchen utensils for a keyboard to write about his “tumultuous journey” living with diabetes.

Clacton Pier is hosting a bumper Bank Holiday weekend of family fun, including fireworks, this weekend.

The new leader of Essex County Council says there will be no library closures –a stark U-turn after years of turmoil and one of the council’s most controversial plans.

WITH the weather set to finally show some signs of summer this weekend, it is the perfect time for a stroll outside with the family - particularly with a Bank Holiday weekend on the way.

Here are five of the venues in Colchester town centre where you'll be able to watch Euro 2020 this summer, provided Covid restrictions aren't tightened.

Take a look at our gallery of Google Maps which shows how Colchester has changed over the past decade.

COLCHESTER is the second most affordable location for first time buyers within an hour's commute of London, it has been revealed.

A new app is allowing car drivers to help survey the nation’s insect populations by counting the number of bugs squashed on their car registration plates after a journey.

Health workers get the worst deal, as the only sector with an average figure in excess of £500 a year. 

We've rounded-up some of the highlights to look out for in Aldi and Lidl this weekend.

Police are seeking "early advice" from prosecutors over the case of a man who was arrested on suspicion of the indecent assault and murder of Stuart Lubbock at the home of entertainer Michael Barrymore in 2001.

Colchester takeaway business Burgers, Wings and Ribs has made the final of Just Eat's British Takeaway Awards for the South East region.

Supporters of convicted killer Jeremy Bamber believev they are on step closer to getting his appeal granted due to new alibi evidence.

SCHOOL teachers have warned the fight to protect their school is far from over, despite academy trust bosses agreeing to pause a staff shake-up.

A STRICT parking ban on a north Essex island is “farcical” and is having a detrimental impact on small businesses, an oysterman has claimed.

A SAME-SEX couple who were worried having a child was “taboo” are now celebrating their youngest son’s first birthday.

PATIENTS had to be recalled to be re-vaccinated after an error meant they were given the wrong dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Plans to create two new cycle routes linking up Colchester town centre have been set out in detail and the public are being asked to give their thoughts.

A MUM who feels school bosses have “played God” with her son’s education wants the school system reformed so other children do not slip through the net.

A FAMILY have been left homeless after a house fire.

The ringleaders of a organised crime group in Essex which supplied drugs to county lines gangs have been jailed for a combined total of more than 40 years.

EXCITEMENT is mounting as the clock ticks towards this summer's European Championships.

SCHOOL bosses have performed a U-turn on a proposed staffing shake-up after protesting teachers, students and parents engaged in a three day strike.

Flytippers dumped a massive 5-tonne mound of waste in a quiet country lane in Langham.

Essex’s top health chief is urging residents to be cautious over the bank holiday weekend and half-term in a plea to keep Covid infections under control.

POLICE have been granted temporary powers following repeated issues on a beach this afternoon.

Ex-Towie star Mark Wright has shared plans for his spectacular new garden at his home in Essex.

A Ryanair flight had to make an emergency landing this morning at Stansted Airport.

The item will usually cost shoppers around £1.95 and the recall includes all ‘use by’ dates up to and including June 3, 2021.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Colchester Hospital on Thursday to meet with staff and patients.

The George Hotel in Colchester reopens today after a painstaking £10 million renovation - here's a look inside the 500-year-old premises.

Column: After another disappointing night for the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, Gazette columnist Alan Hayman recalls how Britain once hosted the event and thwarted a potential terrorist threat to the performers.

READER Mary Felgate has been sorting through precious family photos from the past.

HUNDREDS of pounds have been raised for a life-saving organisation after volunteers took part in a charity run.

A SCHOOLS collective is preparing to roll-out a countywide scheme in a bid to get more students thinking and caring about the environment.

A BEAUTIFUL and tranquil nature space will mark a milestone anniversary next month by giving visitors the chance to learn about its legacy.

AN immersive theatrical experience is helping to raise essential funds for a charity dedicated to helping veteran war heroes and their families.

BBC Breakfast’s sports presenter Mike Bushell rose to the challenge of adding another sport to his repertoire.

A new University of Essex study has found not all fish are equal in terms of how they are affected by microplastics.

I applaud the plans to revamp the St Nicholas Square and the area adjacent to the Mercury and Jumbo.

Here at Essex County Council, we want to make walking and cycling so easy, straightforward and fun that it becomes the automatic choice for getting around, especially for shorter journeys.

The high street bank has said it has prevented millions of pounds from being sent to “crypto-criminals”.

Cases of the variant have doubled in the last week sparking fresh concerns over stage four of Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown.

The show revealed some bombshell revelations from rivalries to cast romances.