A DAY AT THE SEASIDE

 It's now time we had a good look around Southend-on-Sea. In the previous posting, we visited Victoria station, now it's the turn of the former LT&SR establishment, Southend Central. Back in the very early 1970s, unit 260 arrives on a Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness working.

In more modern times, C2C run the services, with things like this.

Across the road from the station entrance is a handy Wetherspoons, so let's pop in to the Last Post. You can guess what the building used to be.

Eastern National was the National Bus Company operator serving Southend. Here's a Bristol MW on service, sometime around 1973/4.

A few of these splendid machines used to operate the sea front service.

1980 saw Bristol VR 3048 painted in a special livery. Here it departs from the combined Eastern National depot and bus station.

An Olympian coach at the central bus station (near the market), ready for a speedy run to the capital.

After privatisation, the southern part of Eastern National became Thamesway and eventually part of Firstbus.

Southend Corporation started out by operating trams, running along the sea front.

The corporation later, as we've already seen, turned to trolleybuses.

Here's a fine selection of Southend Transport buses, including a Leyland PD3, an Albion Lowlander, a Daimler Fleetline and a Routemaster.

Southend Transport was later sold to Arriva.

Just for a change, here's a charabanc seen on Clarence Road in Southend town centre.

Another operator in the area is Stephensons.

A couple of old pictures of the town centre, with trams on Broadway and trolleybus wires over the High Street.

Thirsty work this. Three pubs to sample, the Borough Hotel, the Cornucopia and the Park.

"But, where's the sea?", I hear you ask. To get down to promenade level, we can take this garden shed on rails!

Alternatively, we can visit the pier, Britain's longest. Here's the entrance in 1933.

In 1976, electric trains ran along the pier.

A works unit, formed from an earlier passenger car, halfway along the pier.

The 'new' pier train, diesel operated, in 1986, at the wet end.

We leave Southend pier as night begins to fall......

......and head to the pub. It's in a modern shopping centre and it's called the Cork & Cheese. Sadly, the powers-that-be closed it down. Goodnight.