Southend on the South Bank

Had west end theatre tickets on Friday (Betty Blue Eyes - very entertaining with great cast) and having decided to stay up in London for the night we wandered along the south bank on Saturday morning to see the Festival of Britain event. It is well worth the visit and particularly good to see Southend playing such a central part. Not only our display representing the Southend coastline but also in many other exhibits - particularly the row of beach huts with one containing many old picture postcards of the town and another remembering the floods of 53 when Canvey was cut off and partially flooded. For free entertainment it takes some beating and don't miss the museum display in the ground floor of the South Bank Centre - as my wife commented we have never been to a exhibition when it was so apparent that nearly all of the other visitors were being transported back to their own memories either of the festival itself, or for those of us too young to experience it, of the items of furniture etc many of which featured in the homes of our parents or grandparents as we were growing up.