On 1 March 2022, Prince Charles attended the official ceremony in Southend-on-Sea to mark the town becoming a city. Southend’s city status had been tirelessly campaigned for by Southend West’s MP Sir David Amess before his tragic death. He sought recognition for the important role Southend has played through history, both within Essex and the country as a whole. Southend developed from a small fishing village on the Thames Estuary into a popular and fashionable resort in the nineteenth cen...

A–Z of Southend delves into the history of the Essex coastal town of Southend-on-Sea. Originally Southend was a small collection of buildings at the south end of the village of Prittlewell, but in the late eighteenth century the area became popular as a resort. Famous visitors followed in the next century, including Lady Hamilton and Princess Caroline, wife of George IV, and Southend is mentioned in the writings of Jane Austen and, later, H. G. Wells in The War of the Worlds. The town grew...

Southend History Tour offers an insight into the fascinating history of this coastal town in Essex. Author David C. Rayment guides us around its well-known streets and buildings, showing how its famous landmarks used to look and how they have changed over the years, as well as exploring its lesser-known sights and hidden corners. With the help of a handy location map, and location maps of Shoebury and Leigh-on-Sea, readers are invited to follow a timeline of events and discover for themsel...

Three hundred years ago Southend was an insignificant hamlet at the south end of Prittlewell parish. During the late eighteenth century it began to gain popularity as a seaside resort. Lady Hamilton stayed here in the nineteenth century, as did Princess Caroline, wife of King George IV. Jane Austen mentions Southend in Emma as does H. G. Wells in War of the Worlds. Today Southend is not only a popular seaside resort. It has its own airport at nearby Rochford which is now served by a recent...

The name Wickford is of Saxon origin, Wick meaning a winding river and Ford being a shallow river crossing. For many years this sleepy market town lay dormant, like a seed waiting spring. Spring arrived in the 1970s with the building of the Willows, establishing itself during the following decade with the opening of Ladygate, the Wickford bypass and the rebuilding of the east side of the High Street opposite Halls Corner. Such development has perhaps eroded some of Wickford's character as ...

Stevenage Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Stevenage, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this area throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set and through the author's factual captions for every picture...

You don’t have to travel far in this city to realize there is one major visual reference in this city, and that’s the superb castle perched high on the hill. Everything tumbles away from this most famous of landmarks. Countless alleyway and steep steps intertwine with tall terraces and imposing public buildings, constructed from rugged grey/green stone. Once through the pleasant parks that form a natural link between the old and new city, you are treated to imposing Georgian streets...

Gillingham was once an independent and separate borough with its own character and personality, but in 1998 it lost this separate identity when it joined Chatham, Rochester and Strood to become part of the unitary authority of Medway Council. Today, Gillingham's High Street stretches from the railway station to Medway Park. The original settlement of Gillingham stood on the bank of the River Medway where today there is the Strand leisure park. Together with neighbouring Chatham, Gillingham...

Salford is often seen as the smaller twin of Manchester, its neighbour across the River Irwell. In fact, Salford was a borough long before Manchester achieved that status, but even in the 1530s John Leland described it as 'a large suburb to Manchester'. However, during the Industrial Revolution, Manchester grew more rapidly than Salford, although together they were the first 'shock city' of the industrial age, described in graphic detail by writers such as de Tocqueville and Engels. While ...

Ironbridge Gorge Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country, which is reproduced here in full colour. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author's factual captions for every picture, and carefully-selected choice of images, the reader can achieve a real sense of the gorge's importance to the early industrialists. There is something for ev...

Eastbourne is situated at the eastern end of the South Downs alongside the famous Beachey Head cliff. Although Eastbourne has some industrial trading estates, it is essentially a seaside resort and derives its main income from tourism. It is a genteel resort with none of the glitz, glamour and 'kiss-me-quickness' of other seaside towns; even today there are no shops or amusement arcades along the sea front. Join Kevin Gordon on this nostalgic trip through time as he shows, using old and ne...

Runcorn Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Runcorn, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this area throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author's factual captions for every picture an...