What can I do if my ex-partner disagrees on our child’s school?
Knowing what school to send your child to can be a stressful decision, as you need to weigh up not just the school’s place on a league table but how it can cater to your child’s needs.
Gardening in February
This month there are signs of the approaching spring, with bulbs appearing and wildlife waking up as day length and temperatures increase.
When Fire Rises from the Root
There is a particular kind of energy moving through this year – bold, restless, quietly insistent. In Chinese astrology, this is the Year of the Fire Horse, a symbol of raw life force, independence, and unstoppable forward motion.
East of England Air Ambulance Services Praised for High Level of Cover Across the Region According to New Report
The East of England Air Ambulance services were praised in a new study published in the Emergency Medicine Journal this month for providing people across the region with the highest levels of access to doctor-based pre-hospital care teams compared to other parts of the UK, bringing critical interventions to patients as soon as possible after sudden illness or injury.
Dr John’s Diaries – Past and Present
As mentioned previously, the way the residents were informed about the new medical centre left a great deal to be desired. As a consequence there was a great deal of confusion and anxiety. It was therefore decided to hold a public meeting to discuss the matter. I wasn’t supposed to mention it as the ‘communications people’ wanted to control the narrative – but it would have been ever so slightly weird if, in a weekly column, I’d acted as if it hadn’t happened.
Fall in love with fitness this February
This February, it’s time to put your heart into your health!
Norovirus – What you need to know and how to look after yourself
You may have seen in the news about norovirus being especially prevalent this winter. While it’s not a new strain, this particular type of norovirus is more widespread than it has been in recent years, and it’s the most common strain we’ve seen since 2012. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself and […]
Essex Police partners with First Charge to power electric vehicles at Basildon depot
Essex Police has partnered with First Charge, the third-party electric vehicle charging initiative from First Bus, to support the continued rollout of electric vehicles. Through the partnership, Essex Police is using high-power charging infrastructure at First Bus’s Basildon depot to support its growing electric fleet, which this year will increase to 50 electric vehicles. The […]
An Update SWF Health & Social Care Group
Sunday 08 February 2026 Flu has decreased. But Norovirus increases seriously. Week 26 January – 1 February 2026: The government has confirmed the expansion of the eligibility criteria for the NHS respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme. Since September 2024, RSV vaccination has been routinely available to older adults as they turn 75 years of age, with an initial catch up […]
Dr John’s Diaries – The Early Years
Plans for the new facility – the CVMC – proceeded at pace and the layout of the new building was agreed (sort of) although, as previously mentioned, the possibility of an additional floor to ‘future proof’ the building was dismissed – and a bay for the breast screening unit and other diagnostic facilities was quietly forgotten. One other gripe is that the position of the building was sneakily moved from its original site to a position right next to a busy/noisy road and the petrol station.
RHS Garden Hyde Hall boosts sustainable credentials with launch of new electric vehicle chargers – marked with week-long free charging event
Located in the Essex countryside near Chelmsford, RHS Hyde Hall has introduced 16 EV charging bays, including both fast (up to 22kW) and rapid (up to 50kW) chargers. The new facilities went live on Friday, January 23, with free charging being offered to visitors during an initial launch period from Monday, February 9 to Sunday, February 15.
NEW HELIPAD and RAPID RESONSE VEHICLE BOOST LIFE-SAVING LOCAL CHARITY
L-R: Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal; Mark Jarman-Howe, CEO at Essex & Herts Air Ambulance; Dr Amy Hughes, Dr Alex Wilson-Evans and Zoey Spurgeon from the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance.
Operation targeting organised crime on road network results in 27 arrests; 02/02/2026
Twenty-seven people were arrested after two deployments of an operation targeting organised criminal activity on the county’s roads.
New film ‘A Poem for Chelmsford’ celebrates our city through local voices
Chelmsford City Council has launched a new, short video celebrating the city of Chelmsford. Created in collaboration with the district’s communities, ‘A Poem for Chelmsford’ highlights our city and the people and places that make it an incredible place to live, work and visit.
Was your loved one pressured into giving a lifetime gift?
Lifetime gifts are the ways in which our loved ones can share some of their wealth or assets with us while they are still here.
Drug driving continues to be an epidemic on our roads, 22 arrests; 31/01/2026
“Drug driving continues to be an epidemic on our roads,” warns the head of Essex Police’s Roads Policing Unit, as officers once again highlight the dangers posed by impaired drivers.
An update from SWF Health & Social Care Group
Sunday 01 February 2026 Flu has decreased. But Norovirus increases seriously. Week 19-25 January 2026: Nevertheless, average ambulance handover times were more than five minutes faster. (42:51). A&E data published showed 73.8% of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours in December, the best for five years. The UK has lost its measles elimination […]
A parent’s guide to croup: what are the symptoms and when to seek medical advice
Croup is a common childhood condition that affects the windpipe, the airways to the lungs, and the voice box. It mainly affects babies and young children, typically those aged between 6 months and 3 years, though most cases occur in 1-year-olds. Boys tend to be affected more than girls, and croup is most common during late autumn and early winter. A child can get croup more than once.
Supporting Children’s Mental Health: Free Training with Emotionally Healthy Minds
To mark Children’s Mental Health Week, Emotionally Healthy Minds will be running two free online training sessions focused on supporting children with anxiety. At Emotionally Healthy Minds, based in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, we have a team of passionate educators and emotion coaches who are dedicated to supporting emotional health and resilience in children, families […]
Supporting the National Year of Reading
At a time when reading for pleasure is in decline as the humble book battles with the habit of doom-scrolling, it is timely that 2026 has been named The National Year of Reading. The official website states ‘Everyone knows that reading expands worlds, sharpens minds and fuels creativity. But fewer of us are making time for it. It’s time for the nation to Go All In.’