The Essex Thread: news, discussion, photos and more

[Divisive Cotton]

In response to the Surrey thread, I present to you... the Essex thread:

Some facts about Essex:

* The population of Essex is 1,318,400 - it is the most populated county in England.

* Colchester is the oldest recorded town in England

* Canewdon is renown for its witches & witchcraft. It is said, as long as the church tower stands there will be six witches in Canewdon. Every time a stone falls from the tower, one witch will die, & another will take her place.

* Essex has 350 miles of coastline - the longest of any county in Britian

* The name Essex originates from "The Land of the East Saxons"

* Southend pier (at over a mile long) is the longest pleasure pier in the world

* Greensted Church is Britain's oldest wooden church dating from the 11th century AD

* The Colchester Solidarity Group is 'an agitational and organisational network for Colchester-based libertarian socialists.' www.colchestersolidarity.org

So come all ye Essex folk - tell us yer stories,tips and facts!

 

[zenie]

 

[Monkeynuts]

I'm feling argumentative today....

The population of Essex is 1,318,400 - it is the most populated county in England.

This must depend on how you define it. Yorkshire will obviously be more if you class it as one county. Any county containing a decent-sized city will be larger, and you obviously have to discount any cities that are also counties. Plus "metropolitan counties", and Greater London itself...

Essex has 350 miles of coastline - the longest of any county in Britian

Yes but it's cheating by going in and out. And quantity is nothing compared to quality...

Southend pier (at over a mile long) is the longest pleasure pier in the world

Isn't it knackered now? There are also less pleasurable piers that could steal the title in an instant by installing a Punch and Judy show or Jim Davidson at the far end. In fact, what an excellent idea...how about Tynemouth pier

 

[Sweet FA]

Dagnum Dustbins

Southend Cruise

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Leigh has recently been voted one of the top places to live in the South East















Fine if you like the smell of cockle sheds

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Isn't it knackered now? There are also less pleasurable piers that could steal the title in an instant by installing a Punch and Judy show or Jim Davidson at the far end. In fact, what an excellent idea...how about Tynemouth pier

It's had numerous fires, probably the biggest one of which was in the mid 1970s at the lifeboat end of the pier, which I watched all night from my bedroom window. It has also had tankers splicing it in half.

It burned down a few years ago again due to a fire at the Western Esplanade of the Pier (stored paint etc. igniting).

I used to go 10-pin bowling weekly on the Pier as my games lesson at school

 

[Griff]

I love North Essex, Saffron Walden and the surrounding areas. Which is where I'm moving to.

Lovely.

 

[Ground Elder]

I used to go 10-pin bowling weekly on the Pier as my games lesson at school

that's proper Essex

 

[Divisive Cotton]

Southend Cruise

Essex people like their cars

 

[Divisive Cotton]

I love North Essex, Saffron Walden and the surrounding areas. Which is where I'm moving to.

Lovely.

My mum lives in Thaxted - I'm going up there this weekend - in the summer it is genuinely beautiful

 

[Groucho]

Shortly after I first moved to Essex I took the last train home. Two very pissed young women slumped into the seat opposite me. Let us for the sake of convenience call them Sharon and Tracy for I do not recall their names. When the train started moving Tracy slumped forward into my lap. Said Sharon 'Trace, Trace, get out of that man's lap. You haven't been introduced.'*

I am pleased to say that since that one occassion, which happened exactly like that, though my main thought at the time was 'oh shit, she's gonna be sick', my time in Essex has not often given me grounds to consider any stereotypes of Essex folk to be anything other than codswallop.

Denise Outen (pictured above) is living proof of that. (She added the Van bit to make her name more exotic sounding). Denise Van Outen has not forgotten her routes though and still visits Lakeside regularly.

Now I must in all seriousness completely distance myself from this post. Although I am a Sussex lad meself I will not, I repeat will not have any posh Surrey types coming onto this thread to repeat anti-working class stereotypes about Essex folk. The first person to use the word 'Chav' will be removed from my Xmas list. Where I live the shoe shops no longer have white stilletos in the windows, but black ones. (Almost) every woman below 40 is wearing those smart just above the knee length trousers/shorts.


* to which I responded 'Hi, I'm Groucho

 

[zenie]

Now I must in all seriousness completely distance myself from this post. Although I am a Sussex lad meself I will not, I repeat will not have any posh Surrey types coming onto this thread to repeat anti-working class stereotypes about Essex folk. The first person to use the word 'Chav' will be removed from my Xmas list. Where I live the shoe shops no longer have white stilletos in the windows, but black ones. (Almost) every woman below 40 is wearing those smart just above the knee length trousers/shorts.

I dont know what you mean

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

that's proper Essex

Thank you kindly

They did try to ban our weekly trips to the Pier as we (well not me obviously ) were all walking through Southend High Street sniffing Tippex Thinner on the way to the Pier

 

[sparkling]

Yay a positive Essex thread.

Even my own little town which can be decidely grotty has got some real hidden gems. I've been walking around it lately and have found all kinds of hidden stuff such as really old quaint churches, sculptures dotted around the town and quiet secret bits of countryside.

Just lately driving through Essex and seeing all the fields looking all golden and ready to be harvested and seeing the abundance of wildlife has been beautiful.

Plus eating in a 14th century pub last night sitting on a window seat and looking out on a village that probably has not changed all that much over the centuries makes me glad I live where I do.

 

[kyser_soze]

Although I am a Sussex lad meself I will not, I repeat will not have any posh Surrey types coming onto this thread to repeat anti-working class stereotypes about Essex folk. The first person to use the word 'Chav' will be removed from my Xmas list.

I'm an Essex boy - the place is rammed to the gills with chavs or varying incomes, from the rich, self-made chav, with his detached house in Chigwell replete with cladding, Range Rover Vogue SE 6.0 V8 and tanorexic wife, to the skankiest Canvey Island 'erbert wearing immo Lacoste...

Meself I was always a fan of Farah and Gabicci when I were a teen, and had my little Pug 205 with giant stereo and lowered bits etc etc...and that's the bit of Essex that'll never leave me...that and finding women with designer roots in their hair horny as fuck...

 

[Groucho]

Goes to strike Kyser_soze off Xmas card list. Realises I have no list. Prepares list. Writes name 'Kyser_soze'. Strikes name off list. Done.

 

[kyser_soze]

Yay a positive Essex thread.

Even my own little town which can be decidely grotty has got some real hidden gems. I've been walking around it lately and have found all kinds of hidden stuff such as really old quaint churches, sculptures dotted around the town and quiet secret bits of countryside.

...

Plus eating in a 14th century pub last night sitting on a window seat and looking out on a village that probably has not changed all that much over the centuries makes me glad I live where I do.

I remember taking Wrysmile to Witham for the first time and showing her St Nicks, the row of Tudor Houses on Newland Street, seeing the signs on the White Heart and Spread Eagle of when they were first built etc etc, then going to the White Horse (where there's been a pub on site since before the Domesday book!) and having a couple of ales

I slag the place off (and genuinely don't like returning to Witham) but it does have some really wonderful parts (many listed here - Thaxted and Saffron Walden are lurvely)

 

[Griff]

My mum lives in Thaxted - I'm going up there this weekend - in the summer it is genuinely beautiful

Looked a few houses in Thaxted & Debden (NOT the shithole next to Loughton on the Central Line, but the pretty village just outside Saffron Walden) over the last couple of months. Settled for a lovely little Victorian cottage in Newport as it's just a 5 minute drive from Saffron Walden & a 3 minute walk to the local & the village shop.

A mate of mine just moved to Saffron Walden and the times I've been up there on a Friday it's been lovely. Lovely pubs, beer gardens to ourselves and nobody about come closing time. He loves it up there and now hates having to work in London.

 

[wrysmile]

I remember taking Wrysmile to Witham for the first time and showing her St Nicks, the row of Tudor Houses on Newland Street, seeing the signs on the White Heart and Spread Eagle of when they were first built etc etc, then going to the White Horse (where there's been a pub on site since before the Domesday book!) and having a couple of ales

I slag the place off (and genuinely don't like returning to Witham) but it does have some really wonderful parts (many listed here - Thaxted and Saffron Walden are lurvely)

I liked Whitham - Kyser nearly died when I started peeking through the windows of the little tudor houses cause they looked just like a movie set, with little fires and flowery couches - but I said: "Hey, they've moved into these houses, they've signed up for people gawping at them through right-on-the-street-windows, relax!" He scuttled off.

I've gotta place in my heart for Essex - my lovely bf and my delightful brother-in-law are both Essex boys.

 

[kyser_soze]

Whitham

Bless.xxx

 

[Monkeynuts]

It's had numerous fires, probably the biggest one of which was in the mid 1970s at the lifeboat end of the pier, which I watched all night from my bedroom window. It has also had tankers splicing it in half.

It was my brother's ship that went through the end. I mean, as in he was part of the crew, not as in he owned it.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I mean, as in he was part of the crew, not as in he owned it.

Should have kept that part quiet. Tell him to take some driving lessons

 

[bluestreak]

i grew up in one of the shit bits of essex, but the countryside is nice, and there are some damn good pubs tucked about across north essex.

 

[rennie]

I've never been.

 

[lighterthief]

Anyone else tried or know the history of the unusual culinary delight that is the Essex 'huffer'?

 

[Sweet FA]

...Denise Van Outen has not forgotten her routes though...

Me neither; my favourite being the 31 from Chelmsford to Maldon. Or maybe it was Maldon to Burnham.

Fuck, I have forgotten my routes

 

[Groucho]

Me neither; my favourite being the 31 from Chelmsford to Maldon. Or maybe it was Maldon to Burnham.

Fuck, I have forgotten my routes

Doh!

 

[Sweet FA]

Doh!

 

[hammerntongues]

A Benfleet boy here , I very rarely go back nowadays but happened to be there this last weekend , same faces in the same pubs as when I left 15 years ago and were there the 15 years prior to that .

Minnie , I did the 10 pin bowling as well , what about Roller Skating ??

I moved to East Yorks for a while but eventually found my way back and live in Danbury ,close to Chelmsford which is a great village , I`m glad my kids are able to grow up here rather than Benfleet.

 

[hammerntongues]

Anyone else tried or know the history of the unusual culinary delight that is the Essex 'huffer'?

I don`t know the history but my local sells them , its a big bread roll , at least it is in my pub.