Sun 24th Sept – It’s a long way to Southend!
Walk Route
Walk Description
Starting in Leigh-On–Sea, we begin our last day carrying all 20 scrolls through this thousand-year-old community of fishermen.
We meet local artists and hike up the hill to Chalkwell Park to experience Metal’s digital exhibition on ipads.
Fuelled by legendary Rossi Ice cream, we gather in numbers to parade up the pier for a finale performance from the Mudlarks Choir, and a parting moment when we send our stories out into the ocean with a blessing from the Hindu Association for the scrolls safe passage from London to Kolkata.
Technical difficulty of walk: Easy. Distance: 5.2 miles
Schedule
09.30 Start outside Peterboat pub, 27 High St, Leigh-on- Sea SS9 2EN. Welcome and introduction to the day.
Talks with artist and fishermen at Old Leigh.
12.00 – 13.30 Meet by Metal Culture, Chalkwell Park, Chalkwell Ave SS0 8NB (It’s in the middle of the park). Refreshments.
14.30 Arrive at Southend Pier, Western Esplanade, Southend-on-Sea SS1 1EE.
15.00 Arrive at pier head for finale performance.
The ten community walks are part of a series of longer ‘link’ walks that will see the flags carried from Kew to Southend using only boots or boats. These longer walks range from six miles to 23 miles. They have been planned with the London branch of the Long Distance Walkers Association, a Silk River partner, and are designed for experienced walkers only. For more information visit https://www.ldwa.org.uk/London/W/4662/2017.html
Please read the Disclaimer covering the walks HERE
Special thanks go to Southend Borough Council, their staff and partners for the planning and facilitation of today’s walk.
Southend Borough Council have worked with the following organisations for Silk River:
- The Hindu Association of Southend & District
- The Mudlarks Choir
- The Old Leigh Studios
- Leigh Fishing Community
- Metal
Southend-on-Sea is a seaside resort town that marks the point where the Thames Estuary joins the North Sea, and this year it celebrates its 125th anniversary.
Leigh-on-Sea has been a fishing village for over 1,000 years, first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Legra – a small fishing hamlet.
The ENDEAVOUR, built in 1926, spent most of her working life as a cockle fishing vessel. In 1940 she was one of six Leigh ‘Little Ships’ rescuing troops from the beaches at Dunkirk and is the only ship that now survives. More recently she has featured in the critically acclaimed Christopher Nolan’s film Dunkirk.
The area is also known for its vibrant music and art scene. Chalkwell Park now hosts NetPark – the first Digital Park in the world run by the arts organisation Metal.
Southend’s famous pleasure pier is the longest in the world at 1.34 miles.
The local Hindu community holds one of the biggest Ganesh Puja celebrations outside of India, on East Beach.
It is hoped that the project will inform those from Southend and further afield of the borough’s varied social history. In particular we are eager to explore the similarities between ourselves and our partner city, Krishnanagar: these include the importance of the creative arts, as well as the fishing trade and food manufacture. Drawing upon various sites of interest we hope to offer an engaging, multifaceted perspective on Southend’s story.
Photos from the Silk River Southend Walk 24th Sept by Mike Johnston.
