Southend's Greatest buildings

[rich p]

Are we allowed to like the Gherkin? It came in quite high on Baggy's list of eyesores.

 

[Aperitif]

Are we allowed to like the Gherkin? It came in quite high on Baggy's list of eyesores.

I always thought the Gherkin should have been built in Piccalilli Circus.
I like all the photos in this thread - the estuary one with a solitary boat is an apt reminder of the bleakness, and the headwind going back to town, and the dust and the wind and the miserable bloke in the pub next door to the Rose café. The run downhill to the seafront has some imposing property - a house with a balcony would be a dreamer's paradise.
Did you get a chance to walk near the little boats with the strange noise generated by the wind in their rigging, rich? That was an unusual sound!

 

[HobbesChoice]

There are some seafront luxury apartments called Nirvana going up in Southend. The cheapest is £550,000 I think with the penthouse being over a million!!!!!! If you had that amount of money would you seriously spend it on a southend seafront apartment???????

 

[Aperitif]

There are some seafront luxury apartments called Nirvana going up in Southend. The cheapest is £550,000 I think with the penthouse being over a million!!!!!! If you had that amount of money would you seriously spend it on a southend seafront apartment???????

Yes.
I'm crazy - and once or twice a year there would be massive cycling parties on the balcony and all would be well with the world.

 

[rich p]

Yes.
I'm crazy - and once or twice a year there would be massive cycling parties on the balcony and all would be well with the world.

It was balcony paradise. Every house seemed to have them. There were some enormous and ostentatiously grand old properties on that hill still in single occupancy.

 

[rich p]

This is my favourite though. Osbornes fresh cockle shed! I bought smoked eel, cockles and brown shrimps.

 

[Auntie Helen]

I grew up in a village west of Southend and me and my friends used to hop on our bikes and cycle down to Old Leigh. The cockle sheds smelled incredibly strong and we used to walk over piles and piles of seashells but it was quaint. Rumour had it that the pub 'The Smack Inn' was where one could buy smack. Two Tree Island had its charms. Southend itself looks better at night - in the daytime you can see all the litter and graffiti and general tat. Watch Police Interceptors on ITV and you can see the average Southendian out on a night out.

 

[Sig SilverPrinter]

Adventure Island by night - the view from Royal Terrace

I will always remember this as Peter Pans Playground, I loved going there when I was little, I know all the rides are different now but do they still have the crooked house?

 

[ChrisKH]

I will always remember this as Peter Pans Playground, I loved going there when I was little, I know all the rides are different now but do they still have the crooked house?

They certainly do! I took my kids in there some time last year. Peter Pan's went through a phase of being the place to have a kids party at my boys school so I have been there plenty in the last 4-5 years. And the supervising adults get a free wristband!!!!!

 

[ChrisKH]

I always thought the Gherkin should have been built in Piccalilli Circus.
I like all the photos in this thread - the estuary one with a solitary boat is an apt reminder of the bleakness, and the headwind going back to town, and the dust and the wind and the miserable bloke in the pub next door to the Rose café. The run downhill to the seafront has some imposing property - a house with a balcony would be a dreamer's paradise.
Did you get a chance to walk near the little boats with the strange noise generated by the wind in their rigging, rich? That was an unusual sound![/QUOTE]

The sound of my childhood. Many a night I went to sleep listening to the wire rigging tapping against the masts of the boats at the Yacht Club.

 

[rich p]

I didn't take a picture sadly but there's a seafront fun palace called

MONTE CARLO - SOUTHENDS PREMIER AMUSEMENT CENTRE

I canm't help wondering if there's a casino in Monaco called

SOUTHEND - MONTE CARLOS PREMIER ANUSEMENT CENTRE

View attachment 5454

 

[ChrisKH]

I didn't take a picture sadly but there's a seafront fun palace called

MONTE CARLO - SOUTHENDS PREMIER AMUSEMENT CENTRE

I canm't help wondering if there's a casino in Monaco called

SOUTHEND - MONTE CARLOS PREMIER ANUSEMENT CENTRE

View attachment 5454

The problem with being local is that you tend to know too much. Many of the amusements along that stretch are owned just by by one 'gentleman'. A friend of mine bought his old house at the top of Essex Way (before he moved onto bigger things) and says the house and bathroom (in particular) were decked out like his amusement houses - gaudy!

 

[dellzeqq]

I always thought the Gherkin should have been built in Piccalilli Circus.
I like all the photos in this thread - the estuary one with a solitary boat is an apt reminder of the bleakness, and the headwind going back to town, and the dust and the wind and the miserable bloke in the pub next door to the Rose café. The run downhill to the seafront has some imposing property - a house with a balcony would be a dreamer's paradise.
Did you get a chance to walk near the little boats with the strange noise generated by the wind in their rigging, rich? That was an unusual sound!

The Gherkin's present position is sublime - indeed the design is particular to the position. It's on the line of intersection of the three main roads in to the City - the A12, the A10 and the A3. Cycle up any of these one morning and there it is - straight ahead of you.

although Hamilton Associates disgusting building at the Elephant now makes a mess of the view from the A3

 

[Fnaar]

I can vividly remember a "summer" holiday where we took a trip to Southend Pier (does it still have the train? Is it still there?). There's photo somewhere of my mum looking horribly windswept and thoroughly pi$$ed off on the pier!. I like the Art Deco photos though...

 

[rich p]

The Gherkin's present position is sublime - indeed the design is particular to the position. It's on the line of intersection of the three main roads in to the City - the A12, the A10 and the A3. Cycle up any of these one morning and there it is - straight ahead of you.
although Hamilton Associates disgusting building at the Elephant now makes a mess of the view from the A3

I think you're missing Aperitif's point and getting into a pickle