Ely

Professional Photographers

Cambridgeshire

Approximate Population: 15,102

Sir Clive Woodward, rugby union player and Rugby World Cup 2003 winning manager with England national rugby union team was born in , as was Autogiro world record holder Ken Wallis and actor Simon MacCorkindale. Other notable people from include The Sisters of Mercy singer Andrew Eldritch, and Australian émigrée actor Guy Pearce.   Folk singer Boo Hewerdine and crime writer Jim Kelly both currently live in .

Former England football player Gary Lineker currently lives in with Model girlfriend Danielle Buxton.   Noted press photographer Gareth Iwan Jones, lived in between 1989-1999.   The creators of Lethal Cocktail, Alexander and James Andrews and Carl Skipper are also based within .

In the spring of 2008 a competition was held to find an official anthem for the City of .   The competition was sponsored by The Standard, ADEC and Star 107 radio.   Judges from around the town and local music scene evaluated the entries and after much deliberation chose Ship of the Fens as the winner.   Written by local song writing duo Graham Brown and Geoff Meads, “Ship of the Fens” (a local nick-name for Cathedral) describes life in from the point of view of an elderly resident returning to the city.

Using a modern folk style in a homage to the popular folk festival and recorded using all local musicians and singers, “Ship of the Fens” was first aired on Star 107s Mark Peters breakfast show on 19 June 2008 and performed live at the 2008 Aquafest on 6 July 2008.

Professional Photographers Cambridgeshire

Southend

Professional Photographers Essex

Approximate Population: 162,000

Southend is known for its seafront. Since 1986, a diesel-hydraulic railway has run the length of pier, replacing the electric service which opened in 1890.   A fire in October 2005 damaged the far end of the pier.   The pier has been beset by fires; a fire in 1995 destroyed the bowling alley at the start of the pier.   The pier was also run through by a boat in 1984.

The Kursaal was one of the earliest theme parks, built at the start of the 20th century.   It closed in the 1970s and much of the land was developed as housing.   The entrance hall, a listed building, is a bowling alley arcade operated by Megabowl and casino.   A newer theme park, Adventure Island, developed on land formerly occupied by Peter Pan’s Playground, straddles the pier entrance. It has grown into a large amusement park with 50 rides. The seafront also houses the “Sea-Life Adventure” aquarium.

The cliff gardens, which included Never Never Land and Victorian bandstand were an attraction until slippage in 2003 made parts of the cliffs unstable, and the bandstand has been removed.  The council wants to re-erect the bandstand but a location has to be found.

A cliff lift links the base of the High Street with the new pier entrance.   The older lift, a short funicular, is a few hundred metres away, closed because structural and mechanical work needs to be done in order to meet European Union legislation which classes it as a cablecar.

In August Carnival opens along the Golden Mile with the lighting of the Illuminations. On the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, hosts a farmers’ market.

Professional Photographers Essex



Photographers Southend