BUSINESS AND FINANCE
Homeowners fear rate raises this summer, Sainsbury’s Shares Slump, Cake and Bread Supplier Finsbury Food Group hopes sales will rise this Easter.

LOCAL SPORT
23 Mar 11 | Division One North
Waltham Forest     0-2    Wingate & Finchley

FIXTURES
26 Mar 11 | Premier Division
Aveley         VS    Maidstone United
(Kick-off 1.00 p.m.)
Billericay Town     VS    Bury Town
(Kick-off 1.00 p.m.)
Concord Rangers     VS    Carshalton Athletic
(Kick-off 1.00 p.m.)
Margate         VS    AFC Hornchurch
(Kick-off 1.00 p.m.)
Sutton United     VS    Canvey Island

26 Mar 11 | Division One North
Enfield Town     VS    Waltham Forest
(Kick-off 1.00 p.m.)
Grays Athletic     VS    Wingate & Finchley
(Kick-off 1.00 p.m.)
Great Wakering Rovers VS    Redbridge
(Kick-off 1.00 p.m.)
Harlow Town     VS    Romford
(Kick-off 1.00 p.m.)
Ilford         VS    Brentwood Town
Maldon & Tiptree     VS    Thamesmead Town
Potters Bar Town     VS    East Thurrock United
Tilbury         VS    Waltham Abbey
(Kick-off 12 noon)
Ware         VS    Heybridge Swifts

GAZETTE, David Ward
IN-FORM Brentwood Town need at least three more wins to ensure they make the Ryman League Division One North play-offs.  That’s the target of Town manager Steve Witherspoon, who’s side currently sit in third place, and he believes his players are now quite capable of making it.

CRICKET
GAZETTE, David Arnold

ALASTAIR Cook is targeting trophies this season as the Essex squad continue their preparations for the new campaign out in the Caribbean.  So far the county has suffered back-to-back defeats on tour – against Hampshire in a 40 over game and then to Derbyshire in a T20 fixture – but Cook feels they have all the right tools to challenge for silverware this term.

HOCKEY
Brentwood Ladies     1 – 1    Bromley and Beckenham

LADIES FOOTBALL
St Martin’s School’s girl’s football team have been celebrating after both the under-13 and under-14 teams have reached their respective Essex County Cup finals

Eastern Region Women’s League
Premier Division
Brentwood Town     5-1    Stevenage Borough
Division One
Whitwell Ladies    1-2    Hannakins Ladies

THEATRE LISTINGS
South Pacific: Little Theatre Company at Palace Theatre from the 30th to 2nd April at 7.30 and 2.30 on Thursday and Saturday
Classic Rogers and Hammerstein
Tickets 01702 351135   £13.00-15.00

Annie Get Your Gun: Shenfield Operatic Society at Queen’s Theatre 29th March to the 2nd April with a 2.30 Matinee on Saturday.
Tickets 01708 443333 between £14 and £18

Acorn Antiques: The Musical: Redbridge Musical Guild at Kenneth More Theatre Until 26th March at 7.30 with a Matinee at 3pm
Tickets 020 8553 4466 Between £10 and £14

Waiting For Gordon/Smalls Talk: SWATS A double bill of girly fun. at South Woodham Ferrers Village Hall From Today to SAturday at 8pm
Tickets on the door between £7 and £8

Hayfever, Hutton Players, Brentwood Theatre
Thursday and Friday have sold out and there are only 10 left for Saturday!

THEATRE NEWS FROM THE STAGE
By Thom Dibdin
Edinburgh International Festival’s 2011 programme will feature an increased focus on dance, as the event looks to the East for inspiration.  The National Ballet of China’s The Peony Pavilion will be central to the dance programme.  In staged performances, the festival balances six dance programmes with four plays and three operas. Concert performances include two operas as well as 41 individual concerts and several further special events. There is also a strong supporting programme of masterclasses, debates and conversations with participating artists.

Defending the festival’s balance, EIF director Jonathan Mills told The Stage: “I don’t tend to programme by weight of genres, I don’t have quotas, but I have an eye for interesting projects. I would like to get rid of categories altogether but we decided to keep them because it is a very helpful way of assisting our audience in thinking about the work.”

The influence of Shakespeare on oriental culture is explored across the genres  and by the sounds of things it is going to be a vast cross section of East meets West Theatre to dip your toes in to and explore.

EIF 2011 runs August 12 – September 4.  Further details on www.eif.co.uk

BROADWAY
A fifth performer in the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, has had to take a leave of absence from the show due to an injury received during a performance last week.  While no one from the production would comment on the exact nature of the injury, reports have suggested it to be whiplash. The show is currently scheduled to open on June 14 at the Foxwoods Theatre.

WEST END
by Natalie Woolman
Natalie Casey is to join the cast of Legally Blonde the Musical next month, she will take up the role of Paulette from April 26, replacing Denise Van Outen in the role, whose final performance will be on April 23. Lee Mead is scheduled to join the West End cast in June in the role of Emmett.