One of many Facebook pages whose posts I get to see is a nostalgic one looking at my town’s (Southend) past.  

One of its latest posts posed the question: “What are your five favourite things about Southend?” There were many and varied responses given. These warmed the cockles of my heart, adding to my nostalgia. I am a lifelong Southender. While I recognize there are negatives, there are also many positives. Here is my “best five” (sneakily merging some since I only got five bites of the cherry).

As a carefree young kid (then)
Never never land, illuminations & carnival
Westcliff open air swimming pool
The pier & sea trips from the end of the pier
Leigh beach (swimming) & cockle sheds (eating)
Blenheim Park (playing for hours in it and the woods nearby)

As a grumpy old man (now)
All the parks (big & small)
Its superb voluntary sector
The sea and views across the estuary (lots of it)
The Pier despite little on it these days
A Community in harmony (mostly)