Basildon, which officially turned 60 this year, is heading a provisional list to become European City of Culture for 2010.
The Pearl of Essex has come a long way since being designated new town status in 1948. Established to accommodate East London overspill following the Nazi sponsored slum clearance programme of 1939-45, the town expanded in 1974 beyond its origninally designated boundaries to include Billericay and Wickford in an Essex Anschluss.
Cultural delights in Basildon include the classical Basildon Plaza, a 1960s interpretation of St Mark's Square, and Brooke House, the inspiration for New York's World Trade Centre. The Festival Leisure Park is internationally renowned for its haute cuisine restaurants (with ketchup in plastic red squeezy bottles to add that extra touch of class)and also features a bowling and arcade centre, two hotels, a twelve screen cinema and two health clubs, as well as the third largest nightclub complex in the UK. Known locally as Bas Vegas, this centre has been a Mecca for American and European tourists since its opening. One visitor from L.A. is reported as saying, "The American Vegas has nothing on this place. The vibrancy, the culture, the warm and welcoming residents, everything has amazed me. This has to be the most stunningly beautiful and incredibly entertaining place in the whole world!"
Although art galleries and museums are few and far between, many residents of the town are themselves walking works of art, with a stunning array of Tats proudly on display.
Famous sons and daughters of Basildon include West Ham star centre back James Tomkins, the four members of avant garde rock group Depeche Mode, Cure guitarist Perry Bamonte, the great and undefeated Terry Marsh, gay rapper Qboy, Shakespearean actress Joan Simms and Brian Belo, winner of Big Brother in 2007. In addition, Basildon is famous for the largest concentration of Staffordshire Bull Terriers any where in Western Europe!
Local BNP activist Len Heather was equivocal when hearing the news, with a spokesman explaining, "We are obviously pleased that the Commie and black loving Eurocrats have recognised the Aryan excellence of our wonderful town but if it means an increase in foreign visitors, we would rather Dagenham win the title."
10 comments:
you see the truth can be amusing
I come on here for something good to read today what with the org down and this is what you've put up mate? Come on!!!
Can't please all the people all the time mate. It is the birthplace of Tomkins! Bet his mum is a looker, she's probably only just turned 30!
Why are you so ashamed of your East End roots? Nothing to do with the modern day colour scheme of the East End I hope?
I'm very proud of my East End roots actually, but my roots are in East Ham, not in Essex. Mind you, not a single one of my relatives from the East End ever saw it for anything other than what it was, an area of deprivation. Being proud of your roots does not prevent you from being honest about your roots. My rather referred to the whole of London as "the Smoke" despite loving the place so much that he yearned all his life to return after moving his family to Somerset in 1964 to give myself and my brother a fair shot at a decent education.
I don't get the way some people are so precious about admitting that the East End was, and remains, a dump and that places like Basildon are town planning abortions. The article is in response to somebody called Basildon insulting me and my turning that insult, jokingly, back on Basildon. Then the "Deeply Offended from Essex" reply was posted. Basildon is a dump, get over it! And if you live there. I would recommend you move! There are much prettier towns in Essex you know!
I see you dodged my question on the colour scheme.
Do you think it is right that the indigenous population have practically been ethnically cleansed from the area? Is it right that those left live in fear and are made to feel ashamed of being English? What will England be like it 20 years time and does it make you feel proud?
Oh dear God, you really are a loathsome racist aren't you? Why not own up who you are? the views tally with Grumpy but I have a feeling you might be Tilting At Windmills Bill. If neither, why not just reveal yourself and have the courage of your convictions?
To use the term "ethnic cleansing" is hideously inappropriate and shows your utter ignorance. Refer to "White Flight" if you will, but ethnic cleansing involves genocide. You may object to immigration but you cannot confuse it with mass murder. A retraction would be in order.
I do regret that Newham is mostly black or Asian but only because it is an expresion of division rather than multiculturalism. That isn't the fault of the ethnic groups, it is because the indiginous population refused to live side by side with Asians or blacks. If an Asian bought a house, white neighbours either side moved out and only Asians would buy to move next door to another Asian. And so whole roads became Asian as whites fled to the Transvaal of Essex.
Why was Newham selected? Because it was a dump and property prices were affordable as a result. Nobody in their right mind wanted to move there until urban renewal led by Barratt East London and the Docklands boom.
Who lives in fear in Newham now? My relatives who remain do not live in terror. I tell you what, the Asians and blacks who moved in initially were very brave indeed, as were the first "Yuppies" who moved to the Isle of Dogs. I well remember hideously racist grafitti around Newham threatening to burn people alive based on their ethnic origins and appalling grafitti on entry to the Isle of Dogs warning the middle classes of the consequences of moving onto the Island.
What will Britain be like in 20 years time? Much as it is now I suspect. Do I feel proud of my country? Not when it sends our soldiers into Iraq and Afghanistan to die in a futile cause, no. Not when fathers walk out on their families, no. Not when we allow people to claim benefits who refuse to take available jobs, no. Not when nothing is done to address yobbish behaviour, no. Not when we allow fee paying education and private hospitals, no. But will I feel proud when we win the World Cup? You bet. And you know, it will not matter one jot to be if the scorer of our winning goal is black or white. In fact, if it was Carlton, I would love it, just love it!
You could have done with some kind of stirring soundtrack there HF. Trying to think of one that would have been appropriate
The soundtrack would have to be the Fat Boy Slim number that is played at 10 to 3 at Upton Park on match days.
Dunno what the title is "Right Here,Right Now" is the catchline
John V P
I thought Land of Hope and Glory! Or Jerusalem! Except The real Tom Hanks would argue that should be Tottenham's anthem! How about Vindaloo?
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