please empty your brain below
Wow, what a nice read to start the week. I was out all day yesterday myself so missed all the excitement and decision making. I'm very pleased that you made it to Old Leigh, one of the haunts of my youth. Next time I would recommend trying the pubs! Cheers DG!

Dave | 13.07.15 - 8:13 a.m. | #

One of yesterday's commenters mentioned the 'dieselised Gospel Oak to Barking line, soon to be electrified'.

As you know, the Southend Pier railway WAS electrified, but converted to diesel power, when the present trains arrived.

It never seemed a particularly sensible decision to me. A victory for Petrolhead Essex Man to go against the grain !

petras409 | 13.07.15 - 9:07 a.m. | #

Hmm, I suppose the Southend Pier railway had been closed for ages (was it for as long as 20 years or thereabouts?) after the end-of-pier fire in 1976 (which has only really been cleaned up in the last few years), so it wasn't a straight electric-to-diesel transfer...

As for the Cliffs Pavilion, yes, coach-loads of pensioners from all over East Anglia probably cover its costs, but I recall the Manic Street Preachers and Alison Moyet playing there too - and Joan Rivers had a show booked there for what turned out to be a posthumous date - but in an interview she said she particularly enjoyed playing Southend/Westcliff, as the audience were a argumentive as she, or something to that effect.

Dominic H | 13.07.15 - 9:36 a.m. | #

Thank you DG.
This brought back memories of swimming in the open-air pool at Westcliff, and of many hours spent as a child on the not too clean mud at Southend, picking up interesting shells and pebbles. On one visit I took home an old Wellington Boot I'd found. LaterI put my hand into the toe and was nipped by the small crab that was hiding there!

Bob Lindsay-Smith | 13.07.15 - 10:24 a.m. | #

Looks like you quite enjoyed your day,DG. Did you wave at the trains? I liked doing that when we used to get off the train at Leigh and walk along the trackside footpath all the way into Southend,finishing at the Kursaal (something to see in those days!) and always lemon ice cornet for me too. P.s. I was still waving at the trains when I visited last year😉

Jo W | 13.07.15 - 10:32 a.m. | #

Oops! Should have said along the footpath and then on the front to Southend as the track leaves the front after Chalkwall and heads off into the town. 😳

Jo W | 13.07.15 - 10:37 a.m. | #

I remember Westcliff from the 1960's.Went to stay with family friends.Best memories were the Tilbury ferry, a bit bigger than the present one. Other memory is the buses, double deckers were a bit low and had four seats on the left and one on the right.

coffindodger | 13.07.15 - 11:15 a.m. | #

Being from south of the river I'd always thought Hastings, Margate and Brighton had the biggest bike events... until I went to the 'Southend Shakedown' for the first time, in April, and was amazed to see the entire seafront from Southend to Westcliff (I walked it) literally crammed with bikes, quads and scooters!
That'd make the April Bank Holiday Monday a good day to go there for those who like [don't dislike]motorbikes, and maybe not such a good place to go for those who don't.

I also found the main part of the Royal Pavilion closed for a private function (on a different visit) but this was made up for by seeing a huge flock of Turnstones roosting at the end of the pier.

There's a small road near the Blackwall Tunnel called Peterboat Close. Seeing your photo of a pub of the same name led me to look it up: apparently a peterboat is a particular kind of fishing boat.

RogerW | 13.07.15 - 11:53 a.m. | #

My teenage daughter has gone on a school trip (from Stratford) to Adventure Island today. (I have a mental picture of her eating chips in the drizzle.) When I was a kid we would similarly go to Peter Pan's Playground. The Southend trip seems to be something of a regular for Newham schools. Waiting to get a train to Purfleet a few weeks ago (for a trip to the Royal Opera House outpost at High House Production Park - very much recommended) the station was filled with scholastic day-trippers.

Joan | 13.07.15 - 12:35 p.m. | #











TridentScan v2.10.0 | Privacy Policy