Essex

THEY say the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but it appears it is when you look over the fence of Mark Wright’s Essex mansion.

The former Towie star has come under fire from fans for his very healthy looking lawn – despite the region’s new hosepipe ban after multiple heatwaves.

Essex and Suffolk Water introduced a hosepipe ban earlier this month as a result of a lack of rain this summer.

Under a temporary use ban, customers cannot use a hosepipe, sprinkler, or pressure washer for various activities, such as watering plants or filling up hot tubs.

However, Mark took to Instagram earlier this week to share a video of himself relaxing in his outdoor pool, with his green garden grass seen behind him.

As he sipped on cocktails in the clip, Mark was sharing his at-home drinks recipe with fans.

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However, fans were more confused over his garden than his homemade mojito.

One user commented below the video: “Amazing grass considering a huge hose pipe ban and much of Essex not have basic water access ATM. Man of the people I see”.

“The grass is looking nice and green 😂,” said a second.

A third wrote: “FYI everyone else has a hosepipe ban?! ?”

“Picture of your house with luscious green grass going around social media while every surrounding bit of land is dead?

“Let all the farmers put their cattle on your land and eat the grass!! They are struggling,” slammed another.

Mark and his wife Michelle moved into their £3.5 million mansion in 2022, after spending years building it into their dream home.

AMY Childs has broken her silence after taking time away from social media following a break-in at her £1.7million mansion.

The former Towie star, 36, addressed concerned fans after the terrifying incident last week.

Amy wrote: “I’ve taken some time away from social media recently, so thank you so much for all the lovely messages and for checking in on me. I’m absolutely fine, I promise!

“I’ve just been enjoying some time with my family, slowing down a little and, behind the scenes, I’m working on something SUPER exciting.

“I can’t wait to share it all with you very soon!”

Amy is mum to Polly, nine, Ritchie, seven, and three-year-old twins Billy and Amelia, whom she shares with her husband, Billy Delbosq, 42.

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It comes after The Sun revealed that the former Towie star’s £1.7million Essex mansion had been “ransacked”.

The property is a stunning five-bedroom mansion complete with a cinema room.

The family had been enjoying a sunny holiday before returning to discover their home had been broken into.

A source told us on Tuesday: “Amy and her family returned from holiday to find that thieves had broken into her home and completely trashed the place.

“She’s absolutely heartbroken.

“She is just grateful that she and the kids were away when it happened, because it would have been terrifying if they had been there when the burglars came.

“She can’t even bear to think about that, but it’s still left her shaken.

“At the moment, she isn’t sure exactly what’s been taken as the place is totally wrecked and police have been there along with forensics.

“It’s a total nightmare and really freaked her out.”

A representative for Amy confirmed the burglary and said: “No one was hurt, which is the main thing. The police are all over it.”

In a darkened room in Maldon, Essex, a ship’s lantern illuminates the laundry drying on a web of ropes suspended from the ceiling. Between piles of sailing memorabilia, 86-year-old Barry Pearce is flipping through a yellowing logbook, watched by his mongrel, Winkle. It feels more like a ship’s cabin than a terrace house. Pearce is one of a handful of surviving skippers who delivered freight on the Thames by sailing barge, the flat-bottomed trading boats famous for their striking red sails that were endemic to the river’s estuary until the 1960s. He remembers the names of every vessel he worked on – Remercie, Edith May, Colonia.

In the 19th century, the ochre sails of thousands of Thames sailing barges pierced the skyline as the craft carried cargo from the Thames estuary and beyond in and out of London. Their shallow draft allowed them to snake far upriver in as little as a metre of water (bargemen would boast that they could sail anywhere there had been a heavy dew). Their ingenious rig, with sails that could be set and stowed with the help of winches, meant around 150 tonnes of cargo could be shifted by just a skipper and mate – often accompanied by a guard dog. This efficiency allowed them to outlive all other commercial sailing vessels, surviving until the 1960s, when Pearce himself took the helm.

Today, only about 30 Thames barges are still sailing, either as private homes or leisure cruisers. Two of them – Pudge and Centaur – lie like beached krakens on the oozing mud of Maldon’s Blackwater estuary. Both are owned by the Thames Sailing Barge Trust, a charity run entirely by volunteers, including Pearce. Every summer, both vessels can be hired as private charters for groups of up to 12, or you can book a berth on one of their one- to three-day public sailing cruises. They also offer events such as children’s art days throughout the year.

I’m here on a scorching evening at Hythe quay to spend the weekend exploring the River Blackwater and Essex coast aboard Centaur, a barge built in 1895. Itineraries are flexible and based on passengers’ interests. For us it involves sailing up the Blackwater, a Pimm’s at Tollesbury Marina, and a swim off Shingle Point and wander around West Mersea on Mersea Island. Our motley crew consists of three trainees overseen by skipper Chris Martin, who teaches boatbuilding at vocational training organisation Circles Alternative Education.

There are also six passengers, ranging in age from 18 to 76, in five cabins, which are basic but comfortable (each has a wash basin). Although I am the only one who is not a competent sailor, Martin makes it clear that helping to handle the barge is optional.

Unwisely, given our 3am departure to catch high tide, I sink several pints with the two youngest members of Pudge’s crew in the Little Ship Club on the quay. A behemothic man wielding a squeezebox sings sea shanties as salty couples slow dance nearby. “I only know of one or two people my age who are into barging, and I find that disturbing,” yells 25-year-old Charlie Francis over strains of Bound for South Australia. “Barging was the lifeblood of the east coast. We should be proud of our heritage and celebrate the communities working to preserve it.”

After a few hours in my bunk, I make it on to deck at 4.15am. The moon is a slice of radish in a lilac sky. We’re bearing away from the wind and, having set the sails, the crew is already on their second round of tea and custard creams.

As dawn paints its peachy palette, Martin turns the great wheel. He points out Blackwater landmarks that only a local would know: the green buoy known as the Doctor, where early 20th-century fishers left spirits for the alcoholics supposedly drying out at Osea Island’s temperance resort; the pub where, as recently as 20 years ago, Martin witnessed a smuggler wordlessly deliver two dripping bags while regulars stared determinedly into their pints; the hulking trawler, Ross Revenge, which is still home to Radio Caroline, the former pirate station – another relic kept alive by volunteers of the Blackwater.

Where the river opens into the silvery sea, the wind picks up and the barge rocks gently against the tide. My eyelids are heavy and the slowness of the whole experience is working its magic on my screen-frazzled brain. Martin calls for the staysail to be unfurled, a 20-minute task that rewards the barge with another knot and a half of speed. “This life is the antithesis of the digital age’s obsession with instant gratification,” he says. “Sailing barges may not be able to teach us much about cargo any more, but they can teach us the value of slowing down, doing things with our hands and spending time in nature.”

As we make our stately, seven-knot progress, 370 sq metres of rust-red canvas billows above and fingers of salt marsh slide by. With so little distraction, the coffee tastes lip-curlingly bitter, the bacon sandwiches as saline as the deep. I settle on a coil of rope to scan the horizon for porpoises, but soon drift into sleep.

A swim from a sandbank near Tollesbury is followed by a meander through West Mersea at golden hour. Clapboard cottages framed by hollyhocks sit beside sailmakers and chandleries converted into trendy cafes. We drop anchor in the Blackwater estuary and beneath a blazing sunset tuck into lasagne on deck. I haven’t felt this present for months. It’s all such a delight I begin to feel concerned about the trust’s future. Sailing barges cost between £30,000 and £100,000 a year to keep afloat. The trip I’m on costs just £220 including meals, while the Trust’s annual membership is only £37.50.

Although the trust offers training in many of the skills needed to maintain the barges, sourcing the timber is becoming increasingly difficult – and expensive. “Centaur’s exterior planking is pitch pine from the Mississippi basin, which is incredibly durable, but has been virtually exhausted,” says Martin. “And so much of the timber trade has been replaced by plastic.”

The trust also offers free training for future skippers, including the mate on our trip, 18-year-old Ben Weldon, the son of a local shipwright. However, it typically takes 2,000 hours – or 10 years – and the dropout rate is high.

While the trust has recently been awarded £28,090 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop a bid for the £4m needed to restore Centaur, it seems wrong that responsibility for keeping this thread of Britain’s maritime story from unravelling rests on so few shoulders. Sailing may be associated with privilege, but we are a seafaring nation and this inheritance belongs to all of us.

On Sunday morning, our last on board, a westerly fills the sails, and the tea-coloured Blackwater wrinkles beneath the bow as we beat our way back towards Maldon. “Lee ho,” Martin calls, showing me how to spin the wheel to help the crew tack. “So far we’ve used less than a gallon of fuel to do 50 miles. Pretty extraordinary, given that a family car does about 30 miles to the gallon.”

When I asked Pearce at the start of the trip why keeping Thames sailing barges afloat is worth the fight, he looked blank, as if such a question had never occurred to him. He showed me a pencil sketch of a barge he had drawn at the age of 15 in Greenwich, left half-finished when his skipper had poked his head through the hatch and invited him below for dinner. Now, more than 70 years later, he bends once more over that drawing as though no time has passed.

Eventually, he half-whispers: “Well, they’re just lovely, ain’t they?” He glances toward the window. Nearby, Centaur waits on the mud for the returning tide.

The trip was provided by the Thames Sailing Barge Trust. The next weekend aboard Centaur departs on 14 August, £220 for two nights’ full board; three-night trips depart on 3 September (£350 on Pudge, £320 on Centaur) and 18 September (£290 on Centaur). A variety of one-day sailings are also available
from £55 to £125pp

FOR quieter destinations and cheaper prices, a late summer holiday – when kids have gone back to school – is ideal.

And now is the perfect time to book one, whether you want to relax on a beach, sail the ocean, tour wineries or experience some Disney magic.

Trisha Harbord selects ten top trips to enjoy in the UK or abroad, with or without the little ones . . . 

NORWEGIAN FJORDS CRUISING

SAY goodbye to chores and ride the waves aboard P&O Cruises’ Britannia.

The round-trip from Southampton to the Norwegian Fjords, stops at Haugesund, Olden, Alesund and Stavanger, and takes in the Viking region, breathtaking glaciers, lush forests and stunning lakes.

In Olden, try the Loen Skylift, one of the steepest in the world, for an amazing view.

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Britannia is an entertainment centre, with comedy, musical shows, bars, speciality restaurants, sports, a cookery club, kids’ clubs, play areas and a night nursery.

GO: Seven nights’ full-board from £785pp departing Southampton on September 11. See iglucruise.com.

BULGARIAN BLACK SEA ACTION

IF you like an active holiday, Bulgaria’s Black Sea is for you.

Along Sunny Beach, there are watersports galore, catamaran cruises, a theme park, Jeep safaris and biking.

The nearby Tui Blue Nevis hotel offers a multi-sports court for tennis, football and volleyball, pool games, guided walks, arts and crafts, and cooking classes.

Evening entertainment includes singers, acrobats, outdoor cinema and silent disco.

Don’t miss the ancient city of Nessebar, a Unesco World Heritage site.

GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £579pp including Manchester flights on September 10. See tui.co.uk.

LUXURY GREEK ODYSSEY

WHAT could be more enticing than fabulous food and cool cocktails in a gorgeous Greek island boutique hotel?

The 3* adults-only Nathalie Hotel in Ixia, Rhodes, is small and friendly with rooms that sleep up to four guests.

Or push the boat out and book a Jacuzzi room and Rooftop suite with views over the ocean and spectacular sunsets.

Ixia has a buzzing nightlife, with bars, tavernas and cafes, and is a surfer’s paradise.

Take a bus or taxi to explore the cobbled streets of Rhodes old town.

GO: Seven nights’ B&B from £579pp including flights from Stansted on September 27. See jet2holidays.com.

AND RELAX… WITH THE BELFRY BREAK

TREAT yourself to a relaxing break at one of the UK’s finest country resorts – The Belfry, set in 550 acres of countryside.

The spa has pools, sauna, steam rooms, A Fire & Ice Experience and aroma caves.

The resort has three golf courses, a driving range, restaurants and a cinema room.

A highlight this summer has been surfing simulator WaveSurfer, which will run at weekends during September.

GO: The Pamper or Putt offer is from £259 a night, including dinner, overnight stay, breakfast and your choice of a round of golf on The Derby or a 25-minute spa treatment.

Family two-night B&B weekend offer from £404. thebelfry.com.

LIFE’S A BEACH ON TURKEY’S RIVIERA

THE sun shines 300 days a year on the stunning beaches of Turkey’s riviera.

And the Prime Beach Hotel, in popular Marmaris, has its own private beach.

The 5* resort also offers an aqua park, pools, restaurants and snack bars.

Adults will love the wellness and spa centre, featuring a traditional hammam.

If you can travel for up to three hours, take a day trip to the thermal pools of Pamukkale or ruins of Ephesus, both Unesco World Heritage sites.

GO: Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £757pp including flights from Luton on September 30. Price includes a free child’s place. See easyjet.com.

BEAT THE QUEUES AT DISNEYLAND PARIS

SEPTEMBER is a fantastic time of year to visit Disneyland Paris, especially if you avoid the weekend for shorter queues.

This year is a big one for the attraction.

The new World Of Frozen has opened in Adventure World, along with Cascade Of Lights, a fireworks, water and drone spectacular.

New for summer are Princess Cavalcade Mickey And The Magician show. Grown-ups will love thrill rides, such as The Twilight Zone: Tower Of Terror  and Avengers Assemble: Flight Force.

GO: Two nights’ room-only at the Hotel Santa Fe and three-day park tickets from £831pp, for arrival on September 28. See disneylandparis.com.

CATCH A SEAFOOD FEAST IN DEVON

DIVE down to Devon for two-week festival England’s Seafood Feast, which showcases the county’s culinary qualities and begins on September 21.

Restaurants, cafes, pubs and hotels across Torquay, Paignton and Brixham create exclusive tasting experiences, including seven courses over seven hours in seven restaurants by seven local chefs, with seven award-winning drinks.

Riviera Bay Coastal Retreat in Brixham has lodges, caravans and chalets.

GO: Three nights’ self-catering in a two-bedroom lodge is from £369. See landscovecoastalretreats.co.uk and englishriviera.co.uk.

ESSEX HAS A TOUCH OF GLASS

WINE tourism in Essex is booming and the county is now home to 58 vineyards.

Treat yourself to a luxurious stay in the beautiful grounds of Bardfield Vineyard near Braintree and you won’t need to book a taxi home after tasting their rosé, Bacchus or sparkling brut wines.

A tasting tour with ploughman’s lunch costs £40 per person.

Bed down in a rustic cart lodge, with two double en-suite bedrooms and kitchen.

Head to Saffron Grange for sparkling wines, or try the award-winning Tuffon Hall vineyard.

Both tours cost £25 per head.

GO: A cart lodge at Bardfield from £140 a night. See visitessex.com.

YORKSHIRE GOES BARKING MAD

CHEF James Martin will join pooch lovers at DogFest On The Farm at Harewood House, Yorkshire, on September 12-13.

James, who says his cocker spaniel Cooper is his best mate, will be giving cooking demos and dog nutrition advice.

Your four-legged friends can play in the giant ball pit and splash around at a pool party.

Trainers are on hand and there are sheepdog trials and breed meet-ups.

Tickets from £24.50. See dogfest.co.uk.

A perfect base for the festival is the Old Barn, near Harrogate.

GO: Three nights’ self-catering is from £525 for arrival on September 12. See caninecottages.co.uk.

TRY WALES FOR WALKING

WALKING tour company Ramble Worldwide is 80 years old this year.

It offers guided holidays in the UK and abroad for all levels of fitness, including along the beautiful Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire coasts.

Ramblers who choose Wales will find clifftop paths, coves and fishing villages, with the chance to see seals, dolphins and porpoises, and Cilgerran Castle.

Groups of ten to 12 are based at the 3* Gwbert Hotel, on the River Teifi, for walks of around ten miles a day.

GO: Five nights’ half board from £699pp for arrival on September 28. See rambleworldwide.co.uk.

Sam Dimond, owner of event production company Spotlight Sound, said he had lost his livelihood in the fire. The headquarters of his business was based on the industrial site.

He said: “It’s gone, basically. Lots and lots of people have lost their livelihoods. We’ve got customers to serve, we’ve got employees that have a job, and at the minute they don’t have a place of work to go back to.”

Locals reported hearing the explosion on Friday afternoon.

Adrian Walker, 46, from Ashingdon, said: “The ground shook, buildings shook, windows rattled, birds flew off – and I am 15 miles away.

“I’ve never heard anything like it. At first, I thought it was the MoD in Shoeburyness trying out some new ordnance, but it was heard and felt for miles around.”

THE world’s BIGGEST bouncy castle is coming to the UK – and it won’t just be for kids.

‘Mega Bounce’ is set to open at Braintree Village in Essex next month, and will run until the end of the summer holidays.

The massive attraction spans 2,500 square metres – the size of two football pitches – and is more than eight metres tall.

Inside will be giant slides, obstacle courses, sports challenges and, of course, dedicated bouncing arenas.

And outside of it will be other entertainment zones with food vendors, games such as giant Jenga and Connect 4, and music.

Visitors will also find giant Jenga, Connect 4, ping-pong, food stalls and drink vendors throughout the event arena.

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There will be day-time quieter sessions designed for guests who prefer a more relaxed environment, before moving into all-ages sessions featuring music, lighting effects and entertainment throughout the day.

And it’s not just aimed at children – during the six-week run, a number of adult-only sessions will launch.

Once family sessions finish each evening, there will be adults-only events featuring DJs, karaoke, a fully stocked bar and even foam parties..

Josef O’Sullivan, centre director at Braintree Village, said: “After the success of The Monster at Braintree Village last summer, we wanted to come back with something even bigger and better this year.

“Mega Bounce making its UK debut here at Braintree Village is incredibly exciting, and we expect to see visitors from far and wide.”

The bouncy castle was previously in Dubai.

Mr O’Sullivan added: “We’re certain that this is going to be one of the best attractions available in the country over the summer holidays.”

Visitors booking a bounce session will get unlimited access to the attraction during a 60-minute slot.

General admission tickets are priced at £18, with discounts available for larger groups and members of Braintree Village’s PLUS+ rewards scheme.

The attraction opens daily from 10am until 9pm.

Lancashire’s quarter-final hopes were boosted by a seven-wicket win, their second victory in six games, at Chester-le-Street, while Durham’s fourth defeat in six means they are joined on eight points by a Red Rose team who remain bottom of the North Group.

Livingstone’s second successive Blast half-century – 85 not out off 31 balls with eight sixes – included four successive sixes off Kasey Aldridge’s seam bowling in a sensational innings.

Durham’s openers Graham Clark (49 not out) and Alex Lees (42) also impressed as the home side batted first and reached 128-2 from their 10 overs. England limited-overs quick Luke Wood returned 1-16 from two overs for Lightning, while Livingstone also struck.

After a near two-hour delay through to 20:25 BST, Lees pulled and muscled the contest’s first two balls from the spin of Tom Hartley for four and took four boundaries in all off the opening over.

When Livingstone bowled an attacking Lees, Durham had 94 in the eighth over. But Clark brilliantly scooped Tom Aspinwall for a boundary as the hosts ended well, despite the opener just falling short of 50.

In reply, skipper Keaton Jennings (1) and Ben McDermott (0) fell cheaply either side of a productive second over in which Livingstone pulled Matthew Potts for six. Michael Jones scored 27 from 15 balls before Livingstone was joined by Joe Moores (six not out) as Lancashire reached 130-3 to win with five balls remaining.

On the back of scores of 44 and 81 in his past two matches – both defeats against Yorkshire and Glamorgan – Livingstone went on to break the record for most sixes by a Lancashire batter in T20 history (163), previously held by his coach Steven Croft.