Welcome to Leigh-On-Sea, my home- town. At low tide, it is clear from the vast expanse of mud flats that Leigh-On-Thames-Estuary might be a more appropriate place name. The sea disappears and the boats are left high and dry, though the passage of tankers in the distance indicates deep water between Essex and Kent, a few miles away. Occasionally the weather is cold enough for the sea to freeze, at least near the edges, usually when icy cold continental air visits in winter.

Fortunately spring high tides occur near the middle of the day, and these show the resort at its best. The sea is full of sailing boats, windsurfers and swimmers, while the narrow path running between the railway line and the sea serves the competing demands of walkers, (and their dogs), cyclists, prams and skateboarders, not forgetting the joggers. Collisions occur from time to time, but the atmosphere is generally friendly, and there is a timeless quality to the old town.

Things are a bit quieter near the famous cockle-sheds, which have been refurbished over the last few years. Beyond the station, (about 40 miles from London on the so-called Misery Line), lies Two-Tree island, parts of which are submerged when storm-surges move down the North Sea and are funnelled into the Thames estuary. During summer heat waves, the weather is often many degrees cooler than inland, due to a sea breeze.

One of the quieter ways to walk from the sea to the main shopping area of Leigh is up this cobbled pathway. The gradient is fairly gentle at first, but increases nearer the top, presenting a mild challenge after a meal at one of the cafes or pubs by the sea. There are many restaurants, and for those who prefer more activity, Southend-on-Sea is only a few miles away. The Kursaal Victorian fun palace in Southend has just been revamped, and it opened on May 14th 1998 to the accompaniment of many fireworks. About a million people a year are expected to visit, hopefully not all at the same time.

Leigh-On-Sea has good road and rail links with London, and is within easy reach of Stansted Airport, which is useful when it comes to escaping from the English winter.

St. Clement's Church stands on the small cliffs overlooking the Thames estuary. There may be something healthy in the sea air, for one of the residents buried here lived to be 114 years old. On the other hand, the twenty-mile stretch of Essex coast between Purfleet and Shoeburyness has sometimes been referred to less kindly as the Costa Psychogeriatrica. We have lived in Leigh-On-Sea for 11 years now and still counting......