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.

I use to live in a very posh village, and my neighbours were real old money types. She once said to me that she hated saying she lived in Essex (in her husband's family pile, which was basically a small estate) as she was from Suffolk which was naicer. But the tihing is, the bit we lived in was every bit as lovely as any part of Suffolk, so the only thing she was worried about was people's perceptions of Essex - which is just daft.

Another very wealthy friend who lived down the road from me had a double page spread in a well-known glossy interiors mag, showcasing their new kitchen. I nearly spat my tea out when the article lied and said the house was in Suffolk! (ok, so we fairly lived near the border, but that's not the point!) So presumably people's assumptions about Essex are so awful that even if you live in a beautiful house in a gorgeous village, and you are rich enough to have a fabulous, classy house that gets into a magazine, we still have to pretend you live in a different county? What bollocks.

I do love the villages in north essex - my dad was brought up in thaxted, which is lovely. Likewise finchingfield.

But it's the places in the very south of Essez I am most fond of, because that's where I grew up and they still feel like home :)

I love Essex. Im in colchester and I love it. Its arty, musical, pretty.
I spend quite a lot of time in rowhedge too

I love Essex too and am particularly proud to hear a few of you give a special mention to Writtle, as it is where I grew up & am moving back to very soon

Lovely place to go with the kids in Essex is Thorndon Park near Brentwood, you can hunt the Gruffalo characters as they have life-size statues, we love it!

I live near Rayleigh. Love my part of Essex.

I read a few years ago that Essex is the second most affluent county after Surrey (overall) and that it has the highest number of graduates per capita of all the counties in the country. And it consistently has four schools appearing in the top ten state schools in terms of performance/exam results in the country as well. 4 out of 10!

Both the boys an the girl's grammars in Colchester and Chelmsford)

Not bad, for a bunch of thickos in orange foundation, eh?

Ok so we all like Essex rightly so but why don't other people? Why does it have such a bad rep? That's what I can't understand.

Anyone know what Great Notley is like?

I live in Essex (Central Southend). Not much to say about it. It's a good enough place to live. A lot of dog mess though.

I used to live in South Woodham and loved it. Very safe and friendly.

Cookielady I live v near to there in a small village. We have an excellent school and train links to London. It is lovely.

I used to live in Essex too

I was born and brought up in Bishop's Stortford, then DH and I moved to a little village just the other side of Stansted Mountfitchet

I'm way down on the south west coast now but my family are all still up there and it's nice

Jam thank you. I'm just a bit worried about moving there as I'm an East London girl and don't really know the area. I've read the Ofsted reports of primary schools and they seem very good.

have never had anything against Essex. It is just down to a couple of tv shows if you ask me

cookie We moved here after living in E. London. Honestly whenever we go back to town, I breathe massive sigh of relief that we moved here, and I didn't want to move out of town my DH had to persuade me.

Basildon born and bred, me. I couldn't wait to leave when I left home but now I'm older I want to move back. Mainly to be nearer my family but also because I feel... comfortable in Essex.

Have just started viewing houses in Billericay

Jam that's exactly my situation. DH has been trying to persuade me that it'll be great for our dc. I guess I'm apprehensive because it's close to Braintree which we've been told is a hole.

I love Essex too. The reputation is so unfair. I grew up in Danbury and loved it. My parents moved away a few years ago. I miss going back. :(

Oooh, signing in to the Essex Appreciation society

Born in Braintree, raised in Halstead (Holy Trinity, plus first ever pint was in the Three Pigeons) school in Colchester (CCHS, remember the Embassy Club anyone?) and loved it all.

Moved away at 18 and life never took me back home. :( I still look at Essex on the weather map, and it will always be home, however far away I live

norks how old are you?

I lived in Harlow for a while, some of it was fun, some interesting experiences. Two swimming fighting in the swimming pool over money one owed the other. In front of thee kids too

On the whole though the people seem to have a really geniune friendliness. Essex peeps love to party and they seemed to care about family more than where I originate from ( herts) the elderly were always looked after and included in events, a bit like nanny pat, I noticed Los of things in towie that rang true. Not the superficial stuff but the family ties being so strong etc.

I went into Harlow recently for shopping and it was great, everyone was so friendly and ready for a chat. Even the Asda car park men were very kind and helpful and it was freezing in the car park. They still had a smile and a chat

I'd bnever knock essex and it truly does have lovely villages pubs and country side as well.

I never go to Braintree or Witham (the other closest town) Where you are looking at is nice. Check out the other Nolteys also nice or look at Fairstead or Terling both lovely villages.

I live just across the border - about 3 miles away - from Essex but go there a lot. I love Saffron Walden, a compact old market town with lots of character and history - a small but good quality Saturday market (amazing fish), a fantastic little local museum, some great independent shops and a really good firework display every 5 Nov on the common. Also go to Colchester Zoo very often - have been season ticket holders for years, adopted animals there etc. Some of the displays are a bit naff design wise but think it's true to say they have a very varied collection, really do care for the animals, and regularly improve/update enclosures. The staff there are very visible and very happy to chat about the animals and answer questions.

Don't know Colchester town too well, but the few times I've been there it's seemed nice enough. Close by - in Marks Tey I think - there's a fantastic large deli which I ignored for years as it's off a large roundabout in a very nondescript brick building - but having stopped I've totally changed my mind as it's a foodie/cooks/greedy guts dream with aisles of gorgeous and unusual stuff. V expensive though, so only an occasional treat.

The "back route" from here to Colchester - via Haverhill, Sible Hedingham, Halstead passes through some very pretty villages - though Sible Hedingham is also called "vomit village" as that's the place my DD invariably throws up en route. Anyway, I love looking at all the old buildings - a lot of them appear to be original Tudor or Georgian.

I'm not familiar with the Towie Essex at all - think that cliched Essex thing is more true of western parts of Essex closer to London than the rest of the county.

Cookie, whats the place near Braintree?

I love Essex! ,never lived there ,thou was there lots re work , couldn"t get enough of it ,Essex, yes, yes, yes !!!and the iceing on the cake ? Dr Feelgood hail from there!ohmagod !(old rock chick me)