THE Backstage Centre in Purfleet recently welcomed Minister of Culture MP Ed Vaizey.

Mr Vaizey was joined by Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price as he was given a guided tour of the state-of-the-art facility and addressed an audience at a Creative Skills conference Ms Doyle-Price was proud to show off the facility to her colleague.

She added: “Ed was hugely impressed also to hear about the work that the Royal Opera House is doing with local schools and with the Thurrock Community chorus. “It was great to see a Minister so enthused with what he had seen”