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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To Love Essex?

153 replies

TigOldBitties · 15/04/2013 18:47

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.

OP posts:
sara11272 · 15/04/2013 21:50

Cake you say, littlemissbunnyoni ... Tempted!! Smile

MissingEssex · 15/04/2013 21:51

I am from a tiny Essex village and have lived all around Essex e.g Brentwood,Chelmsford,South Woodford,Buck Hill etc.
Have had to relocate to Brummie land (Worcester) and miss Essex at times but do like the countryside up here . Regularly go back though so I don't get too homesick even though it's not home any more Sad.

MrsGrowbag · 15/04/2013 21:54

Bessie, I remember the Embassy and the under 18s discos. Every time I drive up Balkerne Hill I get a wave of nostalgia!
Essex is lovely, and very diverse. The villages in the north of the county are very pretty - it's Constable Country after all. The Dedham Vale is in Essex (well, ok bits of it are in Suffolk but Dedham itself is Essex). I live quite near Saffron Walden now and think that's lovely. I'm an Essex girl and proud of it.

Loulybelle · 15/04/2013 22:02

Cookie, Great Notley is lovely.

CookieLady · 15/04/2013 22:08

Loulybelle thank you. I'll stop driving DH mad with my incessant question of whether it's the right place to move to!

NorksAreMessy · 15/04/2013 22:08

missing I am in Malvern. Perhaps we should start an ex-Essex community :)

MissingEssex · 15/04/2013 22:11

I have been to Malvern a couple of times but not really explored much of Worcs yet. Yes - an ex-Essex community would be good - the accent needs to be preserved Wink

Loulybelle · 15/04/2013 22:12

Cookie, i know someone who lives there, and the beauty of it, is you can get to Chelmsford, Braintree, Harlow, the airport, Gt Dunmow, easily from Great Notley, A120, is close by so you can whiz up that to the M11 all the way to london, its got nice schools, so it has good benefits, its quiet living.

Loulybelle · 15/04/2013 22:14

Also The Discovery centre is about 5 mins away, you can send your kids into run around, its all outdoors and only 3 quid to get in.

Blondie1984 · 15/04/2013 22:15

I grew up in Shenfield - parents still live there and I love it - I can be at Liverpool Street in 30mins, lots of countryside nearby, lots of good schools and it isn't at all like it's portrayed on towie

Loulybelle · 15/04/2013 22:17

Oh and Cookie, you have Freeport, a Cinema, Bowling Alley, Swimming Pool, and loads of restaurants in the better part of Braintree.

RobotLover68 · 15/04/2013 22:19

Richard from Pointless is from Billericay

CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs · 15/04/2013 22:20

I've spent the majority of my life moving slowly from South Essex further and further North in Essex!

Avoid Basildon. I grew up there. I hated it.

Colchester is luffly though...

Buased as lived here for 15 years

CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs · 15/04/2013 22:21

Buased = biased. Fat fingers! Grin

blondieminx · 15/04/2013 22:21

Signing in - another proud Essex MNer here! I live near the posh deli - which now has a new restaurant.

the discovery park is a great asset to Great Notley

JamInMyWellies · 15/04/2013 22:22

Oh yes the discovery centre is bloody brilliant.

Loulybelle · 15/04/2013 22:24

My DD loved it there, 3 quid just to park and it covers most ages of kids too.

ChompieMum · 15/04/2013 22:35

V pleased to hear such good things about Essex. Always suspected it was a great place to live.

rlhmum · 15/04/2013 22:47

cookielady ...I live in great notley ..feel free to ask any questions.....we r happy here ., good schools, lots to do and easy to get to places !!

CookieLady · 15/04/2013 23:17

Loulybelle and Jam the Discovery Centre sounds great.

rhlmum out of the two primary schools which would you recommend?

rlhmum · 15/04/2013 23:31

mine didn't go to either but I think white court is the better of the two although both are good ...

CookieLady · 15/04/2013 23:44

rhlmum thanks.

beautybox2 · 16/04/2013 00:01

I lived in wivenhoe till I was 14, such a lovely village with a quay, nice walks
Now living just outside in Colchester I love it here very good schools and good shopping!
My mum lives in shenfield just outside Brentwood, I stay there quite often seems more chilled out than Colchester, lots of people who commute to London live there :)

TheRealFellatio · 16/04/2013 04:22

I have to say the young women who look most the most TOWIE I have ever seen have been from Lancashire. Confused

It's a hugely diverse county with three or four very distinct personalities representing different parts, I find. I suppose it could be separated like Yorkshire; We already have south, north and mid Essex but they are not designated as different counties. South Essex and and the bits nearest to London represent what most people identify with as being 'Essex' which encompasses the good and the bad.

Gaviguzzler · 16/04/2013 12:08

I'm was born in Springfield, went to school in Chelmsford (CCHS), moved away to London for a bit and am now back in Broomfield. My husband is from Scotland and all his family and friends love coming to visit us in Essex. I love it here too. It's handy for my commute into London but I can also be in the countryside in a few minutes.