<h4>You're browser does not support iFrames - here is an exerpt of the content</h4> <a href="http://veggies-only.blogspot.com/2010/07/tourist-in-my-own-town-southend-on-sea.html">Click here to read the article in full</a> Here in London we had the hottest day of the year so far. Way up in the 90s. The most sensible place to be on a hot day like this is on the coast. If you live in London then the nearest option is to take a trip out East to the Thames Estuary to the town of <strong><em>Southend on Sea</em></strong>.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeMH7-lBJI/AAAAAAAADqU/3RBSF107gMQ/s1600/DSC07776.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492012338588746898" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeMH7-lBJI/AAAAAAAADqU/3RBSF107gMQ/s400/DSC07776.JPG" /></a> The pier at Southend is <strong><em>the longest pier in the world</em></strong> at over a mile long. This morning I walked out to the end of the pier to see what was going on. Thank heavens for a lovely sea breeze or that heat would really scorch me today.<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeL2l_JXAI/AAAAAAAADqM/ezx1_QfuI5Y/s1600/DSC07764.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492012040627772418" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeL2l_JXAI/AAAAAAAADqM/ezx1_QfuI5Y/s400/DSC07764.JPG" /></a> There is a small train running up and down the pier which was built in the 19th century. Traditionally working class Londoners would treat themselves to a trip out to Southend. My Mother tells me that as a young girl in the 1930s she would take a paddle steamer from Tower Bridge to Southend once a year as a special treat. The boat moored up at the end of the pier.<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeLlonouPI/AAAAAAAADqE/iiO-SJ-mPNg/s1600/southsea2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492011749276694770" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeLlonouPI/AAAAAAAADqE/iiO-SJ-mPNg/s400/southsea2.jpg" /></a> Beautiful views all over the Thames estuary from the end of the pier.<br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeLc9maqpI/AAAAAAAADp8/S5jQe_rNpD8/s1600/DSC07772.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492011600289901202" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeLc9maqpI/AAAAAAAADp8/S5jQe_rNpD8/s400/DSC07772.JPG" /></a> Today an old 3 masted sailing ship Atlantis was moored at the end of the pier and will be taking people out for sailing trips this weekend!<br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeLKFNxi9I/AAAAAAAADp0/meJ353Y71bc/s1600/DSC07792.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492011275916512210" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeLKFNxi9I/AAAAAAAADp0/meJ353Y71bc/s320/DSC07792.JPG" /></a> Next I took the train 2 stops down to <strong><em>Leigh on Sea</em></strong>. I have wanted to come here for many years ever since I saw the TV chef Rick Stein come here for his food heroes series. Here at the Crooked Billet pub you can drink a very fine selection of guest English beer overlooking the sea.<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeK0DzmNrI/AAAAAAAADps/6xiPbgrdSpQ/s1600/DSC07783.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492010897581160114" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeK0DzmNrI/AAAAAAAADps/6xiPbgrdSpQ/s320/DSC07783.JPG" /></a> Whilst enjoying the fresh seafood which is landed daily at this busy fishing village.<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeKiSU2UxI/AAAAAAAADpk/u3dVzLyE8do/s1600/DSC07787.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492010592241079058" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeKiSU2UxI/AAAAAAAADpk/u3dVzLyE8do/s320/DSC07787.JPG" /></a> The speciality here is cockles.<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeKUPa_QtI/AAAAAAAADpc/MZ28aGBmYuc/s1600/southsea1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492010350943355602" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeKUPa_QtI/AAAAAAAADpc/MZ28aGBmYuc/s320/southsea1.jpg" /></a> So I sat and watched the fishing boats in the estuary, drank a pint of my favourite English beer 'London Pride' , ate a cockle sandwich and watched the seagulls.<br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeKLrf_OsI/AAAAAAAADpU/ddSXjm8mraY/s1600/DSC07779.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492010203861695170" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeKLrf_OsI/AAAAAAAADpU/ddSXjm8mraY/s320/DSC07779.JPG" /></a> If you ever get a chance to visit this part of the Essex coast here on the Thames estuary you cannot get better than a visit to Leigh on Sea. This is a heavenly place for seafood lovers. Every other shop sells cockles, mussels, whelks, jellied eels, shrimps.... everywhere.<br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeJ4gk3LGI/AAAAAAAADpM/kCxpnT3-88A/s1600/DSC07794.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492009874511834210" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeJ4gk3LGI/AAAAAAAADpM/kCxpnT3-88A/s320/DSC07794.JPG" /></a> A small lane at the end of town is called <strong><em>'Cockle Shed'</em></strong> where there are row upon row of 'Cockle merchants' - do you imagine that someone has a passport, and at the back where you fill in your occupation they have written 'Cockle Merchant'?? - just a thought!<br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeJnp0SVLI/AAAAAAAADpE/dBVooHdTB24/s1600/DSC07798.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492009584934671538" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CAbxtOKD8Tc/TDeJnp0SVLI/AAAAAAAADpE/dBVooHdTB24/s400/DSC07798.JPG" /></a> And there are mountains of cockle shells here too. Ground up to make chicken grit and soil fertilizer I suppose.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/28615441-3514531744899263882?l=veggies-only.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>
