allhallows-on-sea

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have you ever been there? let's talk about it.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 11:55 (twenty years ago)

i knew this would be a gareth thread.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

Now you're confusing me.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 12:06 (twenty years ago)

What's going on? I'm so confused! N, your hair has taken over and is turning you into Gareth.

Where is Allhallows On Sea? I automatically like anything that has the suffix "on-sea". It's that faded seaside glamour thing.

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 12:06 (twenty years ago)

...especially if there's a good chance that it will be SWALLOWED BY THE SEA like Romney Marshes and the old Winchelsea and the Ravenstowns that got eaten by the Humber estuary.

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 12:07 (twenty years ago)

It's near Southend, isn't it?

Kate, when you're in the area we should have a Lost Towns Of The Humber FAP!

(one of the lost villages of the Humber was called Penisthorpe. Snigger.)

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 12:09 (twenty years ago)

I wanted it to be near Walton on the Naze. I still need to go there.

How are we going to FAP in lost villages? Are we going to go out in a rowboat? (And get run down by oil tankers?)

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 12:10 (twenty years ago)

We would have to walk out to the tip of Spurn Point, as the nearest bit of dry land. I'm not sure if we'd be able to go out in a rowboat without upsetting the river pilots.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 12:23 (twenty years ago)

Spurn point... that sounds like a Smiths lyric...

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 12:24 (twenty years ago)

I think we may be diverting the thread a little, but anyway:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/sevenwonders/yorkshire/i/spurn302.jpg

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 12:26 (twenty years ago)

more talk about southend plz.

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

That looks like a sperm. The Sperm Peninsula.

― Rumpie (lil drummer girl parumpumpumpu), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 13:20 (twenty years ago)

Argh, I curse you! The Spurn Head sounds like a Smiths lyric, but the Sperm Head just sounds dirty.

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 13:23 (twenty years ago)

My sister went there because she was intrigued by how somewhere so close to London could be so featureless on the map. She drove there, not knowing what to expect and was entranced. She's been back a few times since. It's in that marshy area they were going to build an airport on. There's not much there, no public transport to speak of, few houses... and a pub called the British Pilot. Weird and desolate. I'd like to go back with her. I've probably misrepresented the place and her views.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 13:39 (twenty years ago)

Oh, there are caravans there too, holiday ones, I think.

And the official end of the Thames is in the area.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 13:41 (twenty years ago)

It sounds lovely. But of course, now you've told us about it, the place is going to be overrun with tourists and ILX0rs looking for the real desolate marshlands and it will lose its curious desolate flavour.

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 13:43 (twenty years ago)

I don't think so.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 13:48 (twenty years ago)

sounds rub

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:09 (twenty years ago)

Not if you *like* desolation and solitude.

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:11 (twenty years ago)

tis the season

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:20 (twenty years ago)

I often have fantasies about blowing out Xmas entirely and just going and spending the whole week somewhere desolate and remote. But I must say, it's more likely to be Iona or the Isle of Sky than Essex, though.

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:21 (twenty years ago)

This is Kent.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

Then it's not near Southend, is it?

That part of the country is even weirder. Margate and the shell grotto and all that.

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:24 (twenty years ago)

I mean, it's probably geographically quite near, but you could hardly drive there. Unless you had a rowboat, like we're going to need for our lost villages of the Humber FAP.

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:25 (twenty years ago)

It's over the water from Southend. I never said it was near Southend. What's this about Southend?

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:27 (twenty years ago)

It's Sarfend. Pronounce it like it's spelt and hoodies will kick your face in.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:29 (twenty years ago)

Forest Pines suggested it was near Southend. Presumably this is not correct.

I quite fancy running away to Skye or somewhere for Christmas. Perhaps for New Year.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:32 (twenty years ago)

nah you should stay in town and drink with Alix and I.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:35 (twenty years ago)

Oh, I didn't realise you were definitely coming up. Yes, I will do that instead :)

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:39 (twenty years ago)

southend talk because i am Southendian. well, i'm a posh leigh-on-sea boy really.

― snowkitten (g-kit), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:40 (twenty years ago)

All-Hallows almost disappeared a couple of years back. The new 'London' airport at Cliffe was slated for this spot. In hindsight, I don't think a another airport was ever on the cards, but the wheels had to be put in motion to show a degree of transparency.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:41 (twenty years ago)

I like Leigh-On-Sea and those inlets west of it.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:42 (twenty years ago)

I also think (though might be geographically askew) that the opening of great Expectations is set in the marshes around the church at All Hallows.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 14:46 (twenty years ago)

The opening of Great Expectations is associated with Cooling, further to the west.

I've not been into Allhallows but I like the 'Isle of Grain', as it's called, and have been on walks there - starting at St. Mary Hoo, down to the sea wall and back round by the gravel pits. I've also driven into the village of Grain itself but found it a bit threatening with shifty-looking youths hanging about.

Regarding getting away at Christmas. I did this one year - 1993, I think it was - going for a long walk on the 'Isle of Harty' (desolate eastern side of the Isle of Sheppey).

― Oak (small items), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 16:33 (twenty years ago)

According to wikipedia, Allhallows was once intended to be the best holiday resort in Europe, with the largest swimming pool in the country, the first artificial wave generator in Europe, and "an amusement park then four times the size of the Blackpool pleasure beach complex". But no one came.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:05 (twenty years ago)

I like the link to the Hoo Penninsula.

An amusement park with no one there... is it still open, or is it abandonned?

That was the thing about the pleasure park in Margate, it was essentially dead, but they can't knock it down as it's listed. But the owner keeps trying to burn it down.

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:07 (twenty years ago)

I'm not even sure it was ever built.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:12 (twenty years ago)

It's confusing. It says that the plan never attracted the holidaymakers expected... but how can a *plan* attract holidaymakers? You'd think there would have to be something there to bring in punters. Or did they just not get the interest/whatever the 1930s equivalent of prebookings?

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:15 (twenty years ago)

I imagine a scenes much like those depicted in Carry On Abroad.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:17 (twenty years ago)

I couldn't decide if there was one scene or several and landed on an unhappy compromise.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:18 (twenty years ago)

Do you know, I've never seen a Carry On film?

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:20 (twenty years ago)

There's actually a, errr... Country Walk through Allhallows-on-Sea.

There are some Medway Forts and things:

http://www.ecastles.co.uk/slough4.jpg

If you're going to be down this end of the country any time, you might suggest it to the rolling walking committee!

― Kate Classic (kate), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 18:43 (twenty years ago)

I am going on a roadtrip to places around Christmasish? I would like to go here, thanks N.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 20:26 (twenty years ago)

I hear a rumour that Catty has leased a car. We might have to do that "lost seaside towns of the East Coast" road trip after all.

― The Hills Are Alive With Celibate Cries (kate), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 10:51 (twenty years ago)

If you do, Kate, definitely let me know and I'll join you on your Lincs/East Yorks segment.

(there are an awful lot of lost country villages around here too, of course - just look at your lost villages book)

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:07 (twenty years ago)

We may actually need an AMPHIBICAR for that.

― The Hills Are Alive With Celibate Cries (kate), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:10 (twenty years ago)

I think "standing on the shore and looking out to sea" might have to suffice in most cases.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:12 (twenty years ago)

No it won't. We'll need an AMPHIBICAR and perferable whatever the aquatic version of Geophys is. Though Aquaphys sounds like a kind of toothpaste, and not cool at all.

― The Hills Are Alive With Celibate Cries (kate), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:13 (twenty years ago)

I was going to say "the aquatic versions of geophys are all a bit rubbish", but then remembered that geophys itself tends to be a bit rubbish. I don't think any of the normal land-based geophys stuff would work under water, because nonw of them work very well on dryish-but-soggy land.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:18 (twenty years ago)

Is that why they are useless on bogs, and why they can't predict when and where people will find new Bogmen?

(Sorry, poor N will come back and find all this archeology talk on his lovely thread.)

― The Hills Are Alive With Celibate Cries (kate), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:20 (twenty years ago)

Exactly.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:21 (twenty years ago)

But don't they usually find Bogmen in marshy ground, near the ancient boundaries between tribes/kingdoms?

But then again, that's quite a lot of boundary.

really, I just wanted an excuse to say AQUAPHYS again. I mean, surely it's just Sonar, isn't it?

― The Hills Are Alive With Celibate Cries (kate), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:23 (twenty years ago)

i knew this would be a gareth thread.
-- Sororah T Massacre (stevem7...), December 20th, 2005.

otm!

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:23 (twenty years ago)

surely it's just Sonar, isn't it

Well, yes. It's about the only stuff that goes through water.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:25 (twenty years ago)

But the problem is, the archeology often isn't in the water, but in the mud at the bottom of the water.

(Sorry, I have watched too much of the Wreck Detectives. And also Time Team specials about those lake dwellings on Scottish Lochs.)

― The Hills Are Alive With Celibate Cries (kate), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:26 (twenty years ago)

Oh, the one with Dr N1ck D1x0n? He was one of my lecturers at university.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:28 (twenty years ago)

At The Crannog Centre, oh yes.

― The Hills Are Alive With Celibate Cries (kate), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:29 (twenty years ago)

Oh my goodness, that suddenly reminded me... I went looking for The Dirt Detective and it was real!

http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/03/46/22m.jpg

I didn't make him up! Craig Ferguson, the Dirt Detective.

― The Hills Are Alive With Celibate Cries (kate), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 12:34 (twenty years ago)

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