The most family friendly place in Essex?

Did you used to congregate down The Green to play rounders and it?? Used to love that!!

I live in Brentwood and its lovely few towie sorts now and people coming and taking pictures of sugar hut but otherwise it's great

What comp did you go onto?? I went onto Sandon!

I was St Cleres Way!

Mr Sibley was a right drip wasnt he.....Mrs Thorpe had an affair with Mr Leake....didnt they fall out of the stationary cupboard or something. I used to love Mr Palmer and Mr Hudson..........Mrs Rand is the mum of one of my good friends from the school....I remember her calling everyone Fumble Fingers when they missed at netball!!

I loved the school library too.

Very happy days, was so sad to leave that school :)

I also grew up in The Heights!!

I'll be 40 in March, think I started in around 1978 and left in 1984. I remember Miss Alderton (and deputy Mr Palmer, who had very hairy hands . Then there was a chap called Mr Sibley for a short time, followed by Mr Leake (but he did have an affair with Mrs Thorpe and they later got married).

Then there were the teachers - Mrs Acklaw, Mrs Hovell, Miss Condie, Mr Hudson, Mrs Rand.

Happy days :)

Wow!!! I am 41 so went there from 1976 - 1981 (I think)...Mrs Alderton was the head mistress and then Mr Thorpe or something like that!!

How old are you.....oooh...did you live in Danbury too?? I was on the Heights Estate :)

Betty, me too! And yes, it was lovely! How old are you now? We might have been classmates!

Jinsei - I went to Danbury Park Primary school........such a lovely school :)

Betty, which school did you go to in Danbury?:)

I live in Essex.

Areas like Leigh, Rayleigh, Hockley, Eastwood all nice. Do you want village or Town? I grew up in a village called Danbury, was a very nice place for a family to live although I think it is quite expensive now.

We are nothing like TOWIE at all :)

Do you find that when you say you live in Essex, people do go "ohhh..really?" and there is an undercurrent of 'why' or 'eurghh'?

Haha - the vast majority of Essex is nothing like what most people perceive Essex to be like, to be fair. TOWIE is a trumped up joke based on one town.

I live in Colchester and I love it. Theres a good arty and music scene, its reasonably friendly, historical, lots of pretty areas. Local villages nearby which are lovely. Fairly diverse. Its nothing like what most people perceive essex to be like.

45 mins from London on the train so easy to commute. (my dp works in the city)
There are a few clubs where it can get lairy at night, but there are also a lot of places doing live music, and a couple of theatres, we have the arts centre.
Lots of mother and toddler groups and playgroups for littleones. Schools vary but there are some excellent ones

Hmm, I don't think there is a perception of Essex being horrible as such- I think its more there is a perception of Essex people being a certain type.

The stereotype was just dying out and then TOWIE came along - confirming a nations prejudices.

Apart from a few obvious offenders this thread is making me truly bewildered about why people have a perception of Essex being horrible. how can they not know how wrong they are?

I find it far, far easier to list lovely places than awful ones. OK, so we are not awash with stately homes, but who cares about that?

I grew up in lawford, my Dad commuted everyday to london.

Lexden is stunning and Myland ok too.

Sudbury (suffolk) is ok, I lived there for a bit but it was very isolated and the commute into london is not great.

Dedham etc is a bit rural.

Clacton is known as cracktown, I wouldn't live there if you paid me, even though I live on whats known as one of the worst estates in colly.

Yeah, I have a few mates who still live there!

Me too Merry! I went to the Colne college after the school too what was I thinking?! Better than my options in Clacton though! The Colne still looks the same, apart from the weird white thing at the front that they added

Braintree high street is dying on its arse.

Oh and to whoever mentioned Leigh-on-Sea, it's a lovely place but the 'beaches' are bloody awful...full of dried oil from your lovely neighbour Canvey Island

I live in Essex and my places of choice would be Brentwood, Hornchurch or possibly Chelmsford.

The commute from Colchester's not so bad, I used to do it every day.

I used to go to the Colne - it certainly felt like the end of the earth when I was a teenager!

Another vote for the villages around Chelmsford from me. Danbury and Little Baddow are both lovely. Maldon is also nice if you want to be in a town.

I'd recommend upminster particularly Cranham which is the cheapest part of Upminster. Great schools, both primary and secondary and quite quiet full of bungalows and retired people and its close (ish) to London if you need to commute as not so expensive for train fares as its still on the underground. However, I'd love to live in North Essex but wouldn't enjoy the commute.

Brightlingsea 'end of the earth'. That's the best bit about it, its not on the way to anywhere, only one road in and out, have always felt its a safe place for kids. Strangers get noticed.