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.

YANBU. I had a BF who came from Hornchurch and we spent some time in Essex.

I grew up in Essex, a villaga called Danbury which is inbetween Chelmsford and Maldon and now live in Leigh On Sea.

I love Essex, we have some gorgeous countryside and it is nothing like TOWIE!!

As there are so many lovely Essex MNers here - have you all visited the MN local pages for Essex ?

You can find them here. Perhaps we should work to make it the shiniest, loveliest MN local of them all .

Can't say I've ever been to Lancashire TheReal, but even so, I guess I'm just curious as to what is so wrong with the TOWIE, supposed Essex style.

I was asking DS1(21) and his friends last night, what they thought of the Essex stereotype, those on TOWIE etc, and their comments were that the people, the girls especially, come across much better than the ones on the other reality shows.

Theres lots of distancing from TOWIE (which I think is an extreme example of a certain Essex style and persona) and I'm just once again pondering is it so bad?

I have only ever caught a quick glimpse of TOWIE but going by that and mags etc etc it makes all us Essex ladies look like over tanned, spider lashed desperate women..and all the men seem to have bright white teeth and not many brain cells.

I seriously do not know anyone who talks like they do, looks like they do or live the life they seem to.

I lived in Essex for 3 years (Great Dunmow) and I liked it a lot. It wasn't my choice to live there but DH got a job in Harlow so we did a lot of investigation and it seemed the sort of place we would be happy. Loved Chelmsford which was our nearest proper town and Colchester and all the little villages around - The Easters and others that now escape me. DS2 was born there and seems quite proud of the fact! I think whilst we were living there, our area which came under Uttlesford DC and includes Saffron Walden, topped the list of best places to live in the country and I wouldn't argue with that at all.

I see it as a county of 2 halves really. The bit around the M25 strikes me as TOWIE land but the northern part of the county seems to have more in common with Suffolk and Cambridgeshire and is actually quite posh. I felt quite out of place not for lack of fake nails and spray on tan but for lack of a plummy accent and a Barbour jacket.

I'm going to be up for a mass flaming but I don't like Essex! I'm from Surrey originally, have lived in London for years and decided to try living in Buck Hill for a while. I can't wait to move back to London. Buck Hill is VERY nouveau riche, there are souped up white Range Rovers with full body kits at every turn, every other shop is a beauty salon or a boutique selling horrible blingy clothes, and when I walk around Waitrose a lot of the women look like wags and seem quite abrasive, I definitely don't feel a nice friendly vibe (I am a v friendly person before anyone says "it's not them it's you" !).

I take the underground to work every day and so many of the women, and the men, look the same; the women are of course orange and where waaay to much make up, and they look quite angry too a lot of the time, and the men wear horrible pointy shoes! Of course this is a generalisation and not all Buck Hill folk look like this, but a huge amount of them do.

And I don't rate the countryside either, not a patch on Surrey!

BURN THE HEATHEN!!!!! We can use our white stilletoes to make the fire,

NoImSpartacus I suppose its different strokes for different folks. I really like Buckhurst Hill, but then I like that people put so much effort in to their appearance and I don't think there is anything wrong with being nouveau riche to me thats a good thing and I find them far better than the old money lot all my colleagues.

Maybe it's a personality thing or just that we all favour different things. I still live in London as I'm not prepared to live further out but I always feel really comfortable and welcomed in Essex.

I know my cousin is currently living in Epsom, having lived in Guildford for 2 years. She's desperate to move back to Essex as she thinks the people are too posh and very unfriendly or 'bland' there. Maybe you two should swap homes?!

Its perfectly reasonable not to like somewhere if it doesn't suit you, I don't particularly like Surrey

And LOL at Louly, I think all the plastic would melt. We'd probably have much more success making flame throwers from our fake tan cans.

I love Essex, so underrated, I live in a village between Witham and Maldon that has been mentioned, wouldn't move. I am from the north west originally, via east London.

I love that the coast is so close and loads of lovely country parks.

Even Witham is growing on me, some lovely architecture and a fab butcher, there are some ruff 'uns thought!!

Not sure about the accent, my 3yo had started speaking 'Essex' despite my northern accent and DH's Home Counties

Ah yes, Fake Bake Flamethrowers, we can tie her to a cross using our hair extensions.

I'm Essex born and bred and damn proud of where I come from.

I live in Hornchurch and can't imagine living anywhere else. It's half an hour to the coast, the countryside is beautiful and there's absolutely tons to do at the weekend.

The schools are also great. We've got four 'good' and 'outstanding' primary schools within a mile of each other and were spoilt for choice when we had to make a decision where to send our DS.

I commuted to London for 15 years and can be in central London in 30 minutes. Plus, we've got a decent size house with fantastic 100ft garden all for under £300k.

I've never really got the whole Essex is shit thing because apart from Basildon, there are some truly brilliant places to live and visit in this county.

I'm very happy here and so are my kids and DH. Tbh, I'd prefer it if Essex was still much maligned so the house prices don't shoot up!

Another huge fan of Essex here. Born, raised and now have my own family here in the wonderful Billericay. Brilliant, friendly town, easy commute into London and great schools, what is there not to love?? (actually the house prices are a bit

Hello, I'm new here but looking for local info for North Essex. Moving to Little Maplestead in July along with DH and 1 DS and 1 DD. Need a secondary school for DS and a primary for DD. Currently thinking of primary at Pebmarsh and secondary in Hedingham. But it is really hard to decide with no local knowledge. Relocating from Cornwall so any tips/advice gratefully recieved.

Hey Jamana, i come from Hedingham, not too far from Maplestead.

Hedingham is a good school, just got Academy status for its achievements, cant say about the primary, but theres plenty of primaries around, its a nice area, quiet, not far from big towns.

Anything else you wanna know just ask.

Hi Loulybelle, thanks for your reply.

That's reassuring to hear about Hedingham. DS will be starting Yr 7 there and it is a big step anyway without the feeling I am sending him into the unknown

Which Primary would you recommend if you were asked?

Another little thing, which I am a little embarrassed to ask, is how do you pronounce Sible ?

Is it 'cybil' as in the womans name
maybe 'sib-lee'
or 'sy-bul' as in bible?

Living in Cornwall I am familiar with unusual names but I am also aware of the hilarity caused to locals when they are pronounced wrongly

There are so many things to find out, where are the Doctors, Dentist, local shop, hospital etc etc??? Thank goodness for Google, what did we do without it?

I think we should thoroughly encourage our Essex reputation, otherwise everyone will come and live here and ruin it for us lucky ones who ignore the haters

My DD goes to the Castle Hedingham school, but you have Pebmarsh or Gt Maplestead schools closer or theres the schools in halstead.

Im glad you picked Hedingham, Ramsey in halstead is a terrible school.

Halstead, will have your doctor, dentists and shops.

Colchester Hospital is the nearest hospital, Colchester is the big town.

and it is pronounced as the womans name.

Another Essex Girl here, currently live in Billericay. Love it.

I'm moving to Leigh-on-Sea soon and it was a real spur of the moment decision, having lived mainly in London since I was 19 (grew up in France & West Country boarding schools...) and I'm sooooooo excited!!! This thread has really reassured me

Thanks for the help and local knowledge Only 7 weeks until the move and starting to get excited/panic I have submitted the school entry forms to my local council {as per 'procedure', though it does seem strange to apply to Cornwall Council for a school place in Essex, but that's the way of things } so just waiting for confirmation.

Secondary choice was easy in the end as there was the choice of bad or ok and Primary I just went with my feelings after speaking to the Head Teachers. So DD is off to Pebmarsh all being well.

Once more thank you for all help

i was born and bred in manchester and moved to stansted 19 months ago, i know already i would never move back north, the people here are much friendlier etc i love stansted its a beautiful place to live.

YANBU Essex is brilliant. People who moan about it are only jealous

It's a truly amazing county, so diverse. Of course there are bad bits and good bits, just like anywhere really. As a county, it is much maligned by a perception which doesn't do it justice.

The City of London is ruled by Essex boys & gals

I'm from a place on Essex called canvey island. Born and bred here and love it