I spent 10 minutes attempting a witty title and gave up. When the book about Covid is written it’ll say the biggest casualty was the quality of pub blog titles.
Perhaps Si will name Leigh with pee and Peterboat with scroat and we’ll be redeemed.
Yes, I was following in the steps of the great man out to the Essex coast.
As Simon is discovering, this is West Ham supporting Essex, and the stylish Billy Bonds still runs a barbers in Leigh.
I love “cutter of hair“; Matt should change his business card to that.
It’s worth the walk up into modern Leigh from the station for your last haircut till December the descent and view across the marshes. The Essex marshes are some of the treasures of England.
Oooh, I can see my target, looking all eerie and Dickensian.
I’m sure I’ve got relatives here; I certainly brought a grandmother to Leigh Salvation Army once (no NBSS scores).
The Old Town gets a fair few tourists from The Smoke, the same way Londoners left the plague-filled streets to dine on oysters at Greenwich in Pepys time.
But at 2pm on an overcast midweek October day, it’d be empty, surely ?
It was packed. The waitress (what else can you call them ?) looked nervous.
“I’ll be quick, only want a pint“. It had worked for BRAPA.
She sneaked me inside, almost conspiratorially, and let me linger at the bar.
I went for the house beer, something called Hilda by George, which sounds like a clothing range at Morrisons.
Spookily, Hilda was also the name of the grandmother I brought down here in 1990. It all makes sense now.
EVERYONE else was dining, but I never felt judged for sinking a lush pint (NBSS 3.5) in ten minutes.
OK, the banter wasn’t very Southend.
“I just want a bit of variety“
“What you having, Andrew ?”
“I’ll have the haddock and chips“
But what they do, the Peterboat do very well.
I admired Leigh Sands, and dreamed about a boat taking me across the Thames to an inevitable Kentish micro on the Isle of Grain in 2024.
Rather like Hastings, ALL the pubs suddenly looked great.
And, despite having stopped for McDonalds in town (South Essex is sponsored by Ronald McDonald), I had to brave the growing squall and queue as Osborne’s Seafood hut for some baby octopus (£4).
Grief, they were gorgeous in vinegar.
retiredmartin 
You ate those tentacles ?Sorry not a fan – got a seafood pizza in Italy once which was covered in them -had to swap with my husband
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Some people drink champagne; I would never sink that low.
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They do look pretty characterful, served like that to say the least, but the polpo that I’ve had in Italy really has been delicious – it knocked spots off lobster any day.
My favourite seafood is probably crab though, as long as there’s plenty of dark meat…or maybe crispy squid…
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Ah, polpo..
(posh git)
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Lovely, lovely, Leigh-on-Sea,
The place to take your fi-an-cee.
Posh? No, for me that would be a true rhyme.
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Best octopus I’ve had was in Croatia, simply served with salad and new potatoes. Yum.
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“some baby octopus (£4)” – not £2 more ?
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You had your husband on the pizza? Very noble of him!
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Sorry, that came out in the wrong place; was supposed to be in response to Pauline’s comment
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There is something magical in that type of lighting when you are in a European town. The ancient feeling is enhanced by that dark moody lighting. Great stuff.
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Yes, loved that light. Better than in summer, and just as busy.
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“I spent 10 minutes attempting a witty title and gave up. ”
To be honest, you could have saved yourself many minutes on previous posts. 😉
“When the book about Covid is written it’ll say the biggest casualty was the quality of pub blog titles.”
Or, more likely, the quantity of pub blog POSTS. (sigh)
“Perhaps Si will name Leigh with pee and Peterboat with scroat and we’ll be redeemed.”
Pfft. He’s not in my league… yet. 😉
“I love “cutter of hair“; Matt should change his business card to that.”
That’s not a bad idea.
“The Essex marshes are some of the treasures of England.”
I hope high winds don’t knock down one of the trees on Two Tree Island!
“the same way Londoners left the plague-filled streets to dine on oysters at Greenwich in Pepys time.”
Or all of those cars tried to leave Paris last Thursday. 😉
“and let me linger at the bar.”
Blimey! Well done her!
“something called Hilda by George, which sounds like a clothing range at Morrisons.”
LOL. The clothing line for Walmart over here is called ‘George’. 🙂
“but I never felt judged for sinking a lush pint (NBSS 3.5) in ten minutes.”‘
Tsk, tsk. It only took 2 minutes for a half in Roydon. 😉
“and dreamed about a boat taking me across the Thames to an inevitable Kentish micro on the Isle of Grain in 2024.”
One can dream, especially in these bloody times.
“Rather like Hastings, ALL the pubs suddenly looked great.”
As Joni Mitchell was wont to say; “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”.
“Grief, they were gorgeous in vinegar.”
I found that out in Greece many years ago (only with Tzatziki, not vinegar).
Cheers!
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