Back in the 1950s and 60s, the Southend Odeon was THE place in south Essex to see not just nationally, but internationally famous acts and groups. Doubling up as a cinema and an auditorium, the Odeon - on Southend High Street - was consistently putting on major shows and acts to more than 2,000 people at a time. Click to continue reading...

Are you stuck in a rut and looking to change your job? Have you recently been made redundant and need to reinvent yourself? Are you a new Mum who's returning to work and is unsure about her next career move?
If any of these dilemmas sound familiar then you'll be interested in a new masterclass in Leigh on Sea that could change your life and set you on the path to a better future. Click to continue reading...

It's just before 9.30 in the morning. It's been raining heavily on the way to Leigh on Sea's Wesley Methodist Church. Surrounding me are a gaggle of children - aged between one and two - and a gaggle of mothers. The kids are noisy and rowdy. They're looking at me as if I was an alien - fixing stern gazes in a way only toddlers can. Click to continue reading...

New controls for Southend Airport have been agreed by Southend and Rochford councils, after residents voiced concerns about plans to increase the number of flights over the area. If proposed expansion plans happen, then operators will be forced to cut the number of night flights by 87% from a proposed 900 a month to just 120. Click to continue reading...

Although the summer's pretty much over, autumn provides an excellent opportunity to discover the coastline around Southend and surrounding areas.
You get some really crisp, but clear days especially in late October and that offers great views especially in places like Stambridge and Pagelsham. Click to continue reading...

There can't be many men in the world that can claim to have traded a life of heights, bricks and tiles for shops, flowers and window dressing but that's exactly what Dave Grimes has done.
He now co-manages Fiori Florist in Southend and Leigh - a joint venture with his long term partner Emily Macaluso. Click to continue reading...

One of south Essex's major events takes place this Saturday and Sunday (19th-20th) as Old Leigh welcomes locals and visitors to its annual Regatta.
The charity event organised by the three Scout and Venture Groups, that are based in Leigh Old Town, gets going from noon on Saturday with entertainment, competitions, side shows, craft stalls and water events. Click to continue reading...

What happens when you fuse a widely enjoyed form of Japanese entertainment with one of the biggest music genres America has ever seen? Throw into the mix a cosy venue and 200 people ready to test their rapping skills.
The end result? Hip Hop Karaoke -- in Southend, this Thursday night (27th). Click to continue reading...

Today marks exactly three years until the opening ceremony of the London Olympics 2012.
Hadleigh Castle was selected as the venue for the mountain biking event almost a year ago now, beating off strong competition from other sites around the capital.
There will be 3,000 temporary seats erected for spectators, while an estimated 30,000 people are expected to flood into Hadleigh and surrounding areas during the two day event. Click to continue reading...

Southend's premier event is less than 24 hours away and thousands of people are beginning to arrive for this year's free airshow.
Longpier.com is producing unrivalled coverage of this year's event, live blogging, Twitter updates and AV content on this website. Click to continue reading...

Have you noticed - we're in the midst of the worst financial crisis in 80 years? Oh you did...good.
Another day, another bank collapse or worst still a whole country going bankrupt (Mum's definitely not going to Iceland, although she would get a very good deal at swanky spa resorts there right now). Click to continue reading...