the High School, Public Gardens, Institute. Rupert Everett (b. 1959) – actor born in Norfolk in 1959, spent a short time as a child in Braintree and frequented the former Embassy Cinema (now closed and occupied by Wetherspoons). Steve Harley (b.1951) – singer/composer and founder of Cockney Rebel, lived in Bradford Street, Braintree, from 1969 to 1971. He worked as a reporter for the Braintree and Witham Times under his real name Stephen Nice. The novelist Jay Merrick, author of Horse Latitudes, worked on the newspaper at the same time under his real name John Thompson. Lawrence D. Hills (1911–1990) – founded the Henry Doubleday Research Association headquarters and test site at Bocking, and also developed the Bocking 14 strain of comfrey, which has properties of particular interest to organic gardeners. Barry Douglas Lamb (b. 1963) – avant-garde/experimental composer and musician, lived in Braintree from 1989 to 1993 following the demise of The Insane Picnic . Although this appears to have been a period of very little musical output on his part, there is an unofficial recording from the period called "Braintree – the Concubine Harvester". Giles Long MBE (b.1976) – triple Paralympic Gold medallist and former World Record holder in the 100m Butterfly, trained with the Braintree and Bocking Swimming Club. Olly Murs (b. 1984)– singer and TV personality, was educated at Notley High School. Next of Kin – pop group who had two top 40 hits in 1999. Louisa Nottidge (1802–1858) – woman wrongfully detained in a lunatic asylum, whose case was fictionalized by Wilkie Collins in The Woman in White, was born at Fulling Mill House, Bradford Street in 1802. Andy Overall (b. 1959) – vocalist, songsmith, performer with '80s band Blue Zoo. Katherine Parnell (1846–1921) – younger sister of Sir Evelyn Wood (below), and wife of Irish Nationalist leader, Charles Parnell. Andrew Phillips, Baron Phillips of Sudbury (b. 1939) – noted politician and lawyer in the field of civil liberties who lived in Bradford Street, Braintree for much of the 1980s. The Prodigy – dance music group. The band's leader Liam Howlett was educated at Alec Hunter High School. Howlett caused indignation among some residents when he criticised the town in an interview for the music magazine Q. He reportedly used "an abusive term". He and fellow band member Keith Flint moved out of the town around 1998, to live in seclusion in a small village