MUCH TO TALK ABOUT

As a presenter on Sky Music and the host of two TV talk shows of her own on Gidea Park-based Sky channel Spotlight TV, Hayley Palmer is never short of words. Nicky Adams asks her how she came to be in front of the camera

LIFE and SOUL

Radio 1 broadcaster and producer Charlie Hedges began her career as Britain’s youngest breakfast show host and is now one of the world’s most successful female DJs. Denise Marshall caught up with the Essex-based queen of the air waves

Lest we forget

Remembrance Sunday will have a special poignance this month as 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Stephen Roberts profiles how much the county of Essex contributed to the war effort and how much it cost

Lakeside Magic

The Lake House, nestled in Mill End on the outskirts of the village of Bradwell on Sea, has been owned by the same family for 60 years and was once a thriving four-buoy water-ski lake.

Keep on running

BBC presenter and director David Whiteley shares his insightful view on stories from across the county of Essex

Cheers!

Starting to get that festive vibe? Why not plan ahead by selecting not only the drinks you want to serve this Christmas, but also ticking off a few presents too?

A doggy day out on… Saffron Walden

Join Ernie, the county’s most famous Westie, as he steps back in time on a trip to this medieval market town

It's A Twin Thing

Many Essex locations are partnered with towns across the globe. Stephen Roberts explores some of these connections and some of the surprising origins to these unique friendships

Company Man

This year he’s celebrating a quarter of a century with Essex law firm Ellisons Solicitors, but managing partner Guy Longhurst’s early days as a trainee solicitor were key to establishing firm foundations

Mud, and much more

Robert Stracey reveals why the mudflats of Walton Backwaters were a joy to come home to after a Round Britain Sail for MacMillan

Feeling electric

The newest health craze or a ‘cheaters’ way to cycle? Here’s everything you need to know about e-bikes

Call in any time!

Is the staycation season over? Not according to Nick Roberts, who discovers the perfect break the weather can’t spoil at The Swan at Lavenham

Bradfield and Wrabness

Enjoy this perfect walk for late summer as you explore the banks of the River Stour and the countryside around Bradfield and Wrabness

A love of WILDLIFE

Whatever your stage in life, volunteering can help your CV stand out and give you valuable work experience, while also bringing great personal reward. Andrew Millham tells his story about inspiring young people to engage in wildlife

Age Is Just A Number

You’re never too old to learn, and doing so might just improve your health

Sharing a Vision

Essex portrait photographer, Francesca Low, volunteered to take part in the 2020 Vision Project to celebrate the hard work of our healthcare professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic. Here she shares an insight into the exhibition and her contribution towards it

STYLE IT OUT

If for you holidaying at home really does mean at home this year, Nick Roberts discovers a stylish way to bring some sparkle to your summer

NEWS TRAIL

International news reporter Ruth Elkins has swapped the night shifts and dead donkeys for the north Essex countryside, and she loves it!

Essex Wildlife

Take up the challenge for Marine Month

The Essex Photo Sketchbook

Two years ago, Robert Hatton set himself the challenge of creating an Essex Photo Sketchbook to showcase some of his favourite parts of the county. Here he shares his results with readers of Essex Life

Road to Recovery

Essex Life has partnered with IoD East of England to interview 15 of the county’s key business leaders to find out why they think our county is well placed to help lead an economic recovery after the diffiulties of the Covid-19 pandemic

Embracing the future

Despite the devestation of Covid-19, has one of the consequences been an advance in the use of new technologies in our care homes?

Treasure map

On a virtual journey through the county, Nicky Adams highlights the treasures of history that make Essex so unique, starting with the county town of Colchester

THE WORLD AROUND US

Michelle Parsons has established an excellent reputation for her wildlife artwork, with appearances throughout the county as well as further afield in London and Sussex. While we all look for entertainment at home, she hopes to be able to inspire us to take up art

Taking the helm

Nikki Logan discovers how a Chelmsford charity is helping people countrywide to ‘live well’ with dementia

MAKING HIS MARKS

Printmaking is a passion for Andrew Sharman that has been inspired by the countryside of Essex and the talents of local artists. And it’s an art form that’s easy to try at home too, he insists

Benefit of experience

Working with the soil conditions found over much of Essex can yield some rewarding results. Tim Carter, a horticulturalist at Noak Hill near Romford, has used his experience to widen the range of plants available for the county’s gardens

The Joys Of Volunteering

June 1 to 7 marks Volunteers’ Week and there has never been a more appropriate time to celebrate and thank those that contribute so much in our county. Alison Dewar talks to six volunteers and hears how ‘giving back’ has also benefited them.

The gardens of Essex

With so many of us spending extra time in our gardens during lockdown, Essex Life asked readers to share what they have been doing in their gardens to demonstrate that Essex gardens really have never looked better

SING BY ME

More used to singing for fun in Essex village halls, Andrew Small’s Essex amateur choir, the Buskerteers, has shot to fame after recording an online version of Ben E King’s Stand By Me in an effort to raise funds to support NHS workers. Nicky Adams tells the story