2MMERCURY May 9, 2008
e-mail: mercury@hertsessexnews.co.ukMERCURYTHISWEEKINSIDEYOURWARE MANAGER8217S
ULTIMATUMPage 72HOMES andDRIVELetters....................................8-9
Late-duty chemists...................6
Village News...........................20
Memories............................24
People................................25-27
Sevendays........................
29-45
Family notices...................47-48
Jobs.....................................50-57
Classified ads.....................58-63
Sport...................................65-72Locations of
speed cameras
in East HertsSunday:
Hoddesdon,
Stevenage, Hertford
Monday:
Stevenage,
Wormley
Tuesday:
Stevenage,
Royston
Wednesday:
Stevenage,
Hoddesdon
Thursday:
Stevenage,Cheshunt242425252323FRIDAY:
Light rain. Wind:
12mph, south-easterly.
Temperature:
max 22C (71.6F), min 9C (48.2F).
Sunrise:
05.18.
Sunset:
20.35.SATURDAY:
Sun.
Wind:
3 mph, south-easterly.
Temperature:
max 25C (77F), min 11C (51.8F).
Sunrise:
5.16.
Sunset:
20.36.SUNDAY:
Cloud.
Wind:
7mph, north-easterly.
Temperature:
max 24C (75.2F), min 11C
(51.8F).
Sunrise:
5.15.
Sunset:
20.38.2222MONDAY:
Sun.
Wind:
10 mph, north-easterly.
Temperature:
max 23C (73.4F), min 8C
(46.4F).
Sunrise:
5.13.
Sunset:
20.39.POLE DANCER IN
GLADIATORSPage 9New role for Mercury editor-in-chief ColinCOLIN Grant is leaving as the group
editor-in-chiefof
Mercury
publish-
er Herts & Essex Newspapers to
rejoin our sister company in
Cambridge.
He is to take up the group editor8217s
role at Cambridge, having joined us
in November 2004 after being editor
ofthe
Cambridge Evening News
.
Colin said: 8220It has been a time of
much progression during my three
and a halfyears with Herts & Essex
Newspapers.
8220All our titles have been
redesigned and greatly modernised
since I came here, the websites have
taken some excellent strides forward
and continue to develop and it has
been rewarding to see the titles and
our staffhonoured by the industry
in receiving national and regional
awards during that time.
8220One ofmy biggest aims since
moving to Hertford has also been to
get our titles much closer to the com-
munities they serve 8211 in terms ofthe
types ofstories we produce, in sup-
porting worthy causes and in
launching appeals and campaigns.
8220I believe we have done so to good
effect and this is best illustrated by
the Hertfordshire Air Ambulance
Appeal. Since we became the main
media sponsor ofthe appeal less
than a year ago, our readers have
been tremendous in their support
and to hear this week that we have
hit the 163250,000 target is a great trib-
ute to their efforts and to those ofso
many others.
8220I am sure the titles will continue
to go from strength to strength and
thank all our readers for their con-
tinued support for our newspapers.8221
Colin starts his new role on
Monday May 12. He is succeeded by
Richard Byham who, within his role
ofpublisher, will take overall
responsibility for the editorial and
newspaper sales functions ofHerts
and Essex Newspapers.COLIN GRANTMan charged over
hostage incident A MAN has been charged with
false imprisonment and
remanded into custody in rela-
tion to the hostage incident in
Stanstead Abbotts.Nigel Harper, 44, ofLuton,
Beds, appeared before Stevenage
magistrates on Friday and was
ordered to appear at St Albans
Crown Court on Friday May 16
for a preliminary hearing.
Grey-haired Harper, who wore
a black suit and white shirt,
spoke only to confirm his name,
date ofbirth and address.
Prosecutor Simone Danvers
outlined the false imprisonment
charge alongside charges ofpos-
session ofan imitation firearm
with the intent to commit an
indictable offence and two
counts ofpossessing an offen-
sive weapon.
Defence solicitor Steven
Smyth made no application for
bail.
Meanwhile, the firm at the
centre oflast Wednesday8217s
drama is looking to the future
after a 8220surreal blip8221.
Staffat sportswear manufac-
turer Team Colours, which is
based at The Maltings business
centre, where the lone gunman
subjected several people to a
three-hour ordeal, have vowed
not to be affected by the terrify-
ing incident last Wednesday.
This week, hostage Rosemary
Carter, the co-owner ofthe fami-
ly company, was taking a previ-
ously planned holiday.
Her daughter and accounts
manager Sarah told the
Mercury: 8220She8217s taking a well-
deserved break.
8220Everyone got back to normal
pretty quickly. We8217re all fine.
8220It was a surreal experience
but carrying on as normal helps
us to forget it.8221
Twenty staffwork for Team
Colours, but the 7-year-old busi-
ness, which supplies to trade
and end users, also has opera-
tions abroad and a website.
Sarah added: 8220We8217ve got big-
ger and bigger as the years have
gone on. We want to grow even
more and we8217re not going to let
this incident stop us. It was just
a blip.8221
Guy Horlock, chairman of
French and Jupps, which owns
The Maltings, yesterday played
down the incident.
He said: 8220I think the whole
thing was a little bit out ofpro-
portion. There were no shots
fired.
8220We8217re all desperately busy
here. Something like this upsets
the whole thing but everything8217s
back to normal now.8221By DAN PETERSpetersd@hertsessexnews.co.uk SEALED: Police closed off much of Stanstead Abbotts during last
week8217s siege; inset,
armed police at the scene of the hostage drama
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