Southend high street has been the physical heart of the Southend community since 1885. To residents, visitors and workers it is far more than just a high street; it is a crucial place of community, exchange and expression – and will always remain so.
Regular readers of my column will know I recently completed the London Marathon and if you have taken part yourself, you’ll understand what I mean when I say I’ve caught the “running bug”.
Here in Southend we are lucky to have a thriving cultural scene, with great facilities such as the Beecroft art gallery, the Jazz centre in the old central library and many pieces of artwork that can be found around the town including in the victoria shopping centre.
It is important that every child is provided with a good education so that they all are given the start to life that allows them to achieve their full potential, regardless of their background.
Southend has so many wonderful organisations working within it, many of which are quite obviously there in plain sight such as IPECO, Adventure Island, and London Southend Airport to name a few. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
As we all get ready for the festivities next week we will all begin to receive many Christmas cards from our family and friends. Many of you will also begin to send out your cards to everyone you care about.
Today our future generation are attending school, learning about everything from the alphabet to the theory of relativity. Each one of these student will be the Scientists, Historians, Poets and Politicians of the future. They will shape our world in a way we cannot even begin to imagine.
Whilst travelling around the constituency, I often find myself popping in one of our excellent local pubs, whether this is for a spot of lunch, a quick diet coke between meetings or for a relaxing drink with friends and family. Our local pubs are very much the life blood of the community.
