Leigh-on-Sea and The Oscars

As many people know, this last week the Oscars have been won by Dame Helen Mirren. Helen I am told was born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex and there have been various comments about this in the media. For myself, Leigh is one of my favourite local places, local being about 20 miles away.

The picture above was taken on a cold Autumn evening which is why it is so quiet and isolated. During the summer months there are hoards of people sitting drinking and eating seafood, etc and enjoying the sea air.

This is my watercolour impression with a little artistic licence.

This is the old town where one will find places to eat and drink, art and craft gallery, craft shop, museum and right at the end a very small beach where one can swim. There is also a quayside where fishing boats offload their catch. A little to the West is an area known as the cockle sheds and this is where most of the fishing boats offload and where fresh fish can be bought to take home.

However, this is only a small part of Leigh. There is the main town where one will find the largest collection of individual and exclusive shops that I have ever come across. Everything you could think of including many art and craft shops. Enough for them to have an Art Trail last Autumn where there were about 50 locations open to visit and buy or just browse. Then there is Two Tree Island. A bird sanctuary out in the Thames Estuary reached by road and bridge from Leigh. This is my favourite place in the area. We are so fortunate in that we have friends who live at the top of the cliffs who allow us to stay in their home when they go away and this is the view from a few yards in front of their home. I have many photographs of Leigh to share in the future but for now here is one of my favourite. It is taken early evening when the tide is out and the late sun and sky formed this beautiful picture which has not been touched up in any way. It is part of the ever changing scenery in this beautiful spot.

I hope you have enjoyed your short trip to Leigh and I will be taking you to visit again in the future.