To Love Essex?

[TigOldBitties]

People seem to hate it. I really like the place overall, obviously some pockets of the not so nice, but I can't understand why it gets such a lot of stick.

I love the accents, the people, most of the areas, the location etc.

I know people will mention TOWIE, but nearly all the things they are accused of appear and often with much worse examples in all the similar shows like Geordie Shore, Desperate Scousewives, Made in Chelsea and The Valleys.

It depends where you go I suppose. There are nice areas like there are everywhere.

I love it too. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

I really hate the whole Towie thing.

Would be v interested to know where you all would recommend living in Essex which is not out in the sticks but has nice houses and good schools with a chance of getting in.

I live in North Essex, quite nice, though some surrounding areas a shit, our most recent claim to fame is Olly Murs and Matt Cardle came from the same area.

I come from Essex though I live in Yorkshire now. It has its points.
I always notice the amount of gold jewellery on the men and the fake tan on the women when I go back but I also find it friendlier than most other places in the south-east.

Chompie only places i know are villages but they arent small ones, and have schools and stuff not far away.

Chompie mum,
Chelmsford & Colchester have very good schools as does saffron walden. Some villages near the borders with Herts can also access schools there

Me me! Have lived here all my life.

I live in Billericay where the two secondaries are good (one slightly better than the other) and great primaries too. Not out in the sticks but near the country side and great public transport links. Hutton and Shenfield are nice too as is Brentwood- despite what the impression TOWIE gives.

Unfortunately the houses are not cheap!

The thing is, I come from Hertfordshire and most people think 'oh how lovely' about this county. On the whole they would be right, but there are some not nice places here (personally can't stand Stevenage or Watford).

So it's all very dependant on where exactly people are referring to. Those who unequivocally say "I hate Essex" are twats.

Only issue with Saffron Walden is literally built in the middle of nowhere, the villages around Braintree are nice, the one i live in has a primary and secondary school.

I used to live in Maldon. It is very nice and I believe the Plume School is still good. Only problem is house prices are so high most of my friends can't afford to live there any more.

Saffron Walden is nice and I'd go and live there myself if I was starting my family over again. I'm a Leigh-on-sea girl and loved my estuary childhood. I was lucky enough to go to a lovely primary school and live in a 'nice' neighbourhood (any Eastwoodians out there?). My family still live there but not sure I'd recommend it, looks a bit worse for wear now. Leigh proper still looks good (with prices to match).

Thanks Louly, wicked and Brigit. I really like the idea of Essex but don't know it well..

BrigitBigKnickers I'm in Billericay too - we may know each other!!

Agree Tidy just to say I have recently refused to relocate away fron Essex and am not Essex born.

It's just a shame about the accent.

Chompie Upminster is served by the district line and overground trains. It has good school and transport as its technically a London borough but has an Essex postal address. Its very 'pleasant' has M&S, Waitrose etc, a park and is protected by the green belt.

I would say the same for Brentwood, which regardless of TOWIE crap is nice, also Shenfield.

I have heard good things about Colchester, and lots of my family live in Chigwell, Buckhurt Hill and South Woodford, which again on the edge of London but have good schools and facilities.

No, the accent is lovely.
It makes me all nostalgic.

Places to not think about,

Harlow
Basildon
Romford
Witham
Braintree, (Its a hole)
Halstead (Only because the secondary school is awful)

I would agree about Braintree. My experience of it was that it lacked in character. Conversely, my experience of Harlow is that it has many characters, all interesting, but not many you'd want to live near.

Am so glad there are some people who don't hate Essex on mn. I keep seeing it being used as a reference in place of stupid, ignorant, flash, thick, chav, uneducated etc

Very annoying.

I grew up in East London and spent quite a bit of time in Essex, then my parents and grandparents, like half of the Essex population, moved out from the east end and set up all over the county. Most of my family and friends followed.

I know lots of areas quite well.

Brigit & Robot I was at Prezzos in Billericay just the other week.

Maybe! Did you go to school in Billeicay Robot?

Tidy i live near braintree and was born there, its a hole, its only 8 miles from where i live.

Visited Writtle near Chelmsford on Sunday (for a Writtle college event which had in part been organised by my friend's dd) and loved the bits we saw.
Gorgeous village, very nice people, lovely countryside, fab.

No I come from Upminster and went to school there - I have 3 children in secondary, is it the good one or slightly better one?