It has been a good week for national treasure Dame Helen Mirren – and it's about to get even better. Dame Helen, who grew up in Essex, won the Oscar for best actress at Sunday's Academy Awards for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in The Queen. And now the leader of Essex CC, Lord Hanningfield, will raise the possibility of having an official ‘Dame Helen Mirren' bank holiday in the county. ‘Helen Mirren is a great ambassador for Essex and we want to celebrate her tremendous achievement in winning an Oscar,' said Lord Hanningfield. ‘Ditch the old perceptions. Dame Helen is the perfect example of the hotbed of talent we have in Essex.'
