Jump to content

Recommended Posts

my parents moved to grays a while ago. i'm forced to visit every now again and have nothing good to say about the place, really soul destroying, bland and highly aggressive at night. not aiming to make a pun but it does live up to its name, think that' s the problem though, why, why call a place 'grays'? town planners should learn from the USA and give inspiring names like 'phoenix' or 'san diego'. saying this i used to think that 'dulwich' sounded like the pits but quite a fan now.

I'd rather live in a town called Grays than a town called Gravesend....!

I like the country bits of Essex and riding round on the bike seeing the little villages in the north of the county is rather pleasant. Even the island bits is great fun. But agree with the towns, so very little 'soul' about them.

But the A13 (even though thanks to Boris us bikers can use the bus lanes) is a nightmare of a ride to have to get there.

I spent some time in Southend. The nightly car parade up and down and up and down the foreshore with the girls sitting watching was a glorious sight to behold.


It was the first time I discovered that there are girls out there who consider a child as a career move. It was like a study in genetics - they would have discussions on whether shagging so-and-so would result in a pretty/sporty/whatever baby. Scary people.

I recently had to travel to Purfleet. The highlight of Purfleet is the level crossing. Nuf said.


Some years ago I visited a road-side pub near Southend. I was asked to leave because I was wearing a leather jacket. Apparently women wearing leather jackets are a recipe for violence in Essex.

At some point along the A12, you pass from cliche Essex into beautiful Essex which is my motherland. Great beer, beaches and jam, and old blokes who fish for eels and take the piss out of Londoners. But the first rule of nice Essex, is don't reveal where it is.

However, I've been in Dulwich for thirty years.

Born in Chelmsford, raised in Ilford and Elsenham - all in Essex. Used to have a great cricket team (think of Fletcher, Gooch, Hussein et al). Some good pubs for a youngster - posh boozing in lounge, underage boozing, crib and farmworkers in public bar. Miss it - but plan to retire to Cornwall and the sea.

The sad tidiness of Frinton, where chalked cricket stumps are washed off the blackened groynes on chill September evenings.


Nets fluttering in Westcliffe bungalows swish dead house flies onto acrylic carpets.


In the caravan park hard by the docks at Felixstowe a retired seaman's final years are played out to the sounds of cranes picking and unpicking an endless cycle of rusting containers. He sees the lights of the shipping lane fade into the distance on winter evenings, and turns back to the flickering portable TV.


In the marshes too, rain and rivers bid a withdrawn, mud-spattered farewell to England.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Forget the fair, enjoy the Maypole dancing on Dulwich Village Junction instead!  10th May, stick it in your diaries.
    • The Dulwich Park fair is not part of the Dulwich Festival, only the Goose Green fair is. This year, Dulwich Park are doing the Teddy Bear's picnic instead of their usual Dulwich Park fair. 
    • I live in a flat conversion and we had also the water meters installed, last year. However, TW workers did not check properly which meter belongs to each flat and they connected us incorrectly. My meter was connected to 2 flats so my usage was unusually high and I had usage when I was away from home. We had to call TW to come out and amend the meters which was a pain to do.  Maybe you need to check with TW if you are connected correctly and not to other properties. You can also see your usage online. 
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...