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Essex Girls!

(55 Posts)
Mishap Mon 18-May-15 19:03:00

Since we are hijacking the prefect thread, I thought we should have one of our own.

I lived in Essex from about the age of 4 to 16, firstly in Tarpots and then in Hadleigh (1953 - 66 ish). Hadleigh was then a large village, but I understand it is now absorbed into a suburban sprawl. I went to the Sweyne School (there's posh!) under the headships of two perfectly potty people. I cannot say that I enjoyed it. I spent quite a bit of time in Southend where music lessons, our teenage social life and holiday jobs took place. I escaped to uni and subsequently a few work years in Birmingham, then - hooray! - the wonderful Welsh borders where we now live.

Pittcity Mon 18-May-15 19:36:15

I am an Essex Girl and proud of it!
Born in Ilford (which was still in Essex then) and lived there for 20 years. Moved to Brentwood for another 20 and now in Colchester. From bottom to top of Essex!

AshTree Mon 18-May-15 19:45:34

Well strictly speaking I'm a Londoner, born in Hackney Hospital. I moved to Hutton in Essex when I was nearly 7, then to Rayleigh when I was 13. By that time I was established at the Ursuline High School in Brentwood, so I continued my education there. Later I went to Southend Technical College.

Like Mishap, I spent a lot of time in Southend as a teenager, with Saturday jobs that included Woolworths and Rossi's ice-cream parlour on the sea-front. And Saturday nights at the Cliff's Pavilion! Shopping for the latest fashions in Nat's in the (then) new shopping precinct near Victoria Station. Going 'out for a meal' at the Talk of the Town, feeling very classy and grown up! Or to The Golden Egg for a posh snack after the cinema.

I moved to a little village near Maldon when I married, and after a few years we came to Devon and have been here ever since.

pompa Mon 18-May-15 19:46:03

Mishap "Since we are hijacking the prefect thread" - I'm puzzled ????

In my teens I lived in Leytonstone, which was Essex then. Over the border into Hetrfordshire for a few years and the up to Tiptree back in 1967 where we still are. Perfect part of the world, amazingly, considering we are only an hour from London, it is a quiet backwater away from the rush, and we have the historic Roman Colchester a bus ride away. Pitcity, we must have a meet up some time.
Superb coastline. lots of interesting backwaters and creeks, Mersea oysters and IMO one of the best beaches in Britain at Frinton.

AshTree Mon 18-May-15 19:50:39

pompa absent started a thread "I think I could guess..." asking who were prefects or head girls at school. It emerged that a handful of us mentioned being at school or living in Essex, and it was rosesarered I think who suggested we should have a club grin. So it looks as if we have one now, thanks to mishap!

pompa Mon 18-May-15 20:08:36

If I had a brain I might have read that as prefect and not perfect [consused]

AshTree Mon 18-May-15 20:09:40

And this thread is entitled "Essex Girls". Is there something you want to tell us pompa? grin[grin[grin

AshTree Mon 18-May-15 20:10:04

Oops, my grins went a bit wonky grin

rosesarered Mon 18-May-15 20:13:08

hi all, I have found he clubhouse!I am from the frozen North, but moved to Walthamstow in the late 60's, then married and we lived in Ilford for a while, then to Rayleigh for a few years, where I worked in the library.Southend was the place to go if you wanted a nice meal out, there was a place called Oskars in Leigh-on-Sea, and we belonged to a badminton club there as well.What was the department store called, was it Dingles?In the centre of Southend.Went to quite a few shows at The Cliffs Pavilion too.Happy days!

pompa Mon 18-May-15 20:15:10

I was just thinking the same thing - or rather I was thinking that this was a sexist thread - "Mishap" , shame on you angry

I shall go and stand outside the Kursal eyeing up the birds.

pompa Mon 18-May-15 20:17:27

Reported for being sexist

Pittcity Mon 18-May-15 20:19:20

An Essex meet up would be great. Frinton or Southend in the Summer would be nice!

AshTree Mon 18-May-15 20:21:53

rose the department store back in my day was called Keddies. Don't know what it is these days - House of Fraser, Debenhams?

rosesarered Mon 18-May-15 20:24:30

Ah yes, Keddies, thanks, I had forgotten that.

rosesarered Mon 18-May-15 20:27:50

Pompa, if all the Essex girls ever met up ( doubtful, as we all live in different places now) you do know that we would all have to wear white high heeled shoes don't you?With tanned and waxed legs . you can be an honorary Essex girl even though you are a boy.

rosesarered Mon 18-May-15 20:32:11

All the tanned nonsense and Essex girl look didn't exist when I lived there, so I wonder where it all came from?

pompa Mon 18-May-15 20:34:01

Thanks Rose, can I come back now ?

I can see you now, mini skirt, white high heel boots, comb tucked in the top of your boots, blonde hair back combed. Those were the days.

Pitcity, summer picnic on Frinton greensward.

grumppa Mon 18-May-15 20:36:42

Another Essex man and Leytonstone teenager here, pompa; not our fault they moved the boundaries in the sixties. Could the two of us cope with the white-heeled Essex girls?

rosesarered Mon 18-May-15 20:39:37

We could go on the dodgem cars at the Kursaal, then enjoy a pint of winkles and a pint.

pompa Mon 18-May-15 20:41:26

I certainly don't see the TOWIE look in Essex any more than any other part of the country, it is a minority, (the majority don't take the limelight)

Mind you I am pumping out ZZZZZ's when the TOWIE species comes out.
The last club I went to was the Legion.

Mishap Mon 18-May-15 20:44:37

Yes - Keddies - that was it!

AshTree - I too worked at Rossis ice cream parlour and had my bottom pinched - do you have that privilege!

I also worked in a children's home near Southend sea front in the summer before I went to uni - it was a dreadful cruel place and left a lasting impression on me.

The Golden Egg - boy, does that bring back memories! - and the Kursal!

Sorry about the sexist thread title - I grovel before you. grin

pompa Mon 18-May-15 20:45:05

Grummpa, I lived in Cobbold Road, spent most of my time on Wanstead flats, that was where I got my love of aero modelling.

chloe1984 Mon 18-May-15 20:47:09

The Merry Fiddlers pub Dagenham on a Friday night , the Ilford Palais on Saturday nights and Southend on Sea bank holiday weekends another Essex girl here and proud of it.

pompa Mon 18-May-15 20:47:57

Mrs. P loved Keddies (and Rossi's ice cream)

pompa Mon 18-May-15 20:50:09

"chloe1984" Ilford Palais - get your girl before all the lighs went out grin.

As I remember they called it moonlight time.