We pick up the story where we left off around two weeks ago and go for a day out in Southend to the East of London We go into Liverpool Street and take the fast train to Southend Victoria trains go from Fenchurch Street to Southend Central.
Stepping off the train as expectant day trippers have done for over 100 years we are greeted with a drab 70s shopping precinct but improvements were being made while we were there and there was a state of the art network computer games centre. Although everything here has some sort of royal connection I don't thing The Prince Charles has ever been here - well at least not in an official capacity. We think the royal names come from the fact that it was a day's travel from London far enough to keep a mistress hidden from the evil scribes that inhabited Fleet Street as it is in Essex and the county does have a history of this sort of thing though accounts vary. These things get round and I guess someone tried to cash in on it - it worked so they all copied it. Just a theory I should add.
The standard British High Street which can also be seen in parts of Ireland. Note the cobbles and the different national chains. It's a bit more subtle than first sight as it is lined up to make it obvious where the sea is.
For those who want a break from the royal connections the planners have allowed a small Irish bar tucked away in a side alley.
Down to the World's longest pier which has been washed away in storms a number of times and when you look at the way it juts out into the water you can see why. Rest assured it has only happened in the Winter months.
The weather at the time was drizzly but somehow moody and all sensible visitors who were staying here were inside hoping for some play at Wimbledon. The tracks are for the special train which runs to the end of the structure.
We chose to walk braving the elements and a chance to take a breather and have a cup of coffee from our flask. Oh we forgot to take one as we have been away for some time. Essential if traveling by car on a Bank Holiday (Public Holiday, Feestdag) as you can park up listen to the cricket commentary in the hope that the weather clears up eat your sandwiches or have a bag of chips then drive home. If it does happen to be sunny on a Bank Holiday the best thing to do is leave the car at home and sit in the garden with the radio on knowing at least there will be some play at Wimbledon or The Tests. But Southend does boast two dual carriageway (four lane) roads from East London and the M25 so it maybe the best bet.
Looking back to "dry" land and the fairground is open for business.
An enhanced photo showing the helter skelter.
One from the shore and you get an idea of the length of the structure.
>Plenty of room to wander around. Some of these work better than others.
From memory the sign says that there is half a mile to go. Around 800 metres
The weather has cleared up and we can just make out France. But seriously folks this is the Isle of Grain power station on the North Kent Coast.
Love them or hate them everyone is talking about these arty shots. This one is of the wooden planks that make up the pier. It does take a bit of getting used to as you can see the water through the planks.
Another moody shot of the town.
The 7:30 Regional Railways departure from Paris Gare du Noord to Manchester Airport via Grantham. Jokes like these are no longer appropriate as things are improving and part of the fast line to Paris will be complete later this year (2003.)
A classic weighing machine marked in pounds and kilogrammes. Stand on the platform, put the coin in the read the value from the dial.
Possibly the last fish and chip shop in England with a larger variety of locally caught fish than similar outlets further inland. Beer drinkers can enjoy the benefits of the European Single Market (local political joke) but American beer is available for anti-Europeans and English isolationists are catered for as well. But seriously it is the convention not to make political jokes at the seaside as traditionally the humour is more fundamental.
A small container vessel makes it's way upriver.
The back of the chip restaurant - surely the location of many fond memories of visits to the seaside.
Another shot of the Isle of Grain power station.
Back on dry land and we sea the structure jutting out into the estuary.
A Regency Terrace with guest offering sea views.
Looking back towards Southend Central Station and although the weather has cleared up a bit shoppers are still not tempted out.
Southend Central Station and yes a new train on the Fenchurch Street line. In a burst of creative genius the London Evening Standard called it the "Misery Line" fine but they had already used that title for the Northern Line tube service. It earned the tag mainly due to old trains but also poor signalling leading to unreliablity. Note the new service stops near the new shopping centre at West Thurrock. Perhaps I ought to say that I caught around 10 trains in total during the trip and not one was late.
Misery Line indeed - this is one of the views you get each morning if commuting into Fenchurch Street which requires no tube journey to reach Eurpoe's leading financial centre. The West End is also available via an easy change at Barking. It's all about the stress level rather than precise journey times. This is the view two minutes walk from Leigh on Sea station to the East and the main town of Southend.
Looking South we the Kent hills actings as a backdrop for the boats. We could have done with some sunshine for these but some people like the changing sky and there are a couple of galleries where local artists have attempted to capture the feeling with paint rather than just getting off the train pointing a camera and fiddling about with free software,.
Two of the larger boats and you can just make out the power station in the background.
An old buoy (pron. boy) used to warn shipping of shallow water.
A classic feature of the British seaside. A breakwater or groyne the idea being to stop all the sand ending up in one place because of the currents.
.A boring group shot but it does set the perspective.
The desingers of this new pub rather optimistically included a large outdoor seating area.
A few last shots of the water before catching the train into London aiming to just avoid the peak period.
After a terrible day the Sun has come out so rather than take the tube to Liverpool Street from Barking we stay on until Fenchurch Street and walk the ten minutes or so through The City and it looks as if the bars of the former Leadenhall Market are dooing good business or perhaps it has been a good year for insurance - it usually is. As the pubs will probably have dress restrictions we head back to the campsite on a fast commuter train in around 25 minutes where the bar is cheaper and the clientele more classy. I mean you have to watch your wallet in these places.
A few silly saeside shots to finish. The first two were done using a GIMP script that was provide with the distribution and the later was an attempt to show what Southend looks like in the Sun
To sum up Southend cannot seriously compete with Brighton as the place to escape London for a day as the weather is better on the South Coast and there is more of a cosmapolitan atmosphere and the pubs are better. What it does offer is the most stress free way of getting to the coast as there are two fast connections to the M25 motorway and same platform connections (overstappen op hetzelfde perron, bon correspondances) from the Central line at Stratford to Victoria or the largely overland Disrtict/Hamersmith and City Line at Barking whcih have stations in the cheap hotel areas of Bayswater (Queensway) and Victoria. You can get off the District Line at Tower Hill for Fenchurch Street but it is busy with lost tourists so the total time saving is around three minutes.
Oh and it was incredibly quiet even though it was June so if you after some solitude and some time away from the slime of the City the area may be better. The area boasts some painters and photographers as well as theatres which feature mainstream acts and plays by top writers with perhaps a broader appeal than the West End.
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