This weekend, Old Leigh played host to the Leigh Folk Festival. although it was a swelteringly hot day on Sunday, the crowds turned out in force to watch a day of free live music, street theatre, dancing, concerts, comedy and a parade.

If you’re interested, there’s a small selection of photos of the 2010 Leigh Folk Festival, the 19th annual event, here: Leigh Folk Festival Summary

Well done to the organisers for another unique and eclectic mix of events and culture, and to the performers, musicians, dancers and singers for performing so well despite the heat!

“Unseen 1963″ is an exhibition showcasing a collection of Black and White photos taken at Southend and Romford Odeon cinemas back in their heyday of theatre shows.

Image © Derek Cross

Artists include The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Dusty Springfield, Cliff Richard, The Kinks and many more.

Image © Derek Cross
“Unseen 1963″ starts on Saturday the 7th of November till the 29th November 2009 at the Atelier Gallery, 96 The Broadway, Leigh-on-Sea (opposite the Grand Hotel).

Limited edition prints will be available for sale direct from the gallery, and there will be an opportunity to buy charity raffle tickets for a chance to win a print. Profits of the raffle go to Southend Hospital Radio, serving the patients at Southend Hospital.

In case you’ve not been following the local press, the town of Southend-on-Sea is bidding to become the UK’s Capital of Culture 2013.

So, what are Southend’s selling points?

• Events such as the Southend Airshow, Southend Carnival and Leigh Art Trail?
• Tourist attractions such as our 7 miles of beaches and our pier?
• Or perhaps our two theatres, new University campus, football team, and our pub and club scene?

Liverpool won European Capital of Culture status in 2008, setting a benchmark for a UK culture capital. Are we as cultured as Liverpool? We’re apparently competing against Manchester, Derby and Durham for the Capital of Culture title, and we’ll know by Spring 2010.

Any thoughts on our bid?

Comments please…

A date for your literary diary… Saturday the 6th of June sees the third Southend Book Fair come to town.

Writers Anonymous and South East Essex College are working together to make the 2009 Southend Book Fair the literary event of the local calendar. The free fair is open to all with an interest in the written word; fact, fiction, orated poetry, spoken ideas or themes, illustrated concepts or plays, or just words set to a musical back drop.

South East Essex College will open the doors to their theatre and atrium to promote a new cultural insight into the mysteries of language, to pull back the sheets on something everyone takes for granted and expose what it really means to communicate. The theatre will be hosting events such as talks by writers and their experiences of the writing process, talks by a publisher about the publishing industry and how to get your works in the public domain. There are extracts from plays by local theatre groups and poetry readings.

In the main atrium of the college will be the book fair, where you can meet and talk with writers and illustrators, discover the works they’ve completed and obtain limited signed copies of their books.
Entrance to the Southend Book Fair 2009 is free, and takes place on Saturday 6th June from 10am to 4pm at South East Essex College in Luker Road, just next to Southend Central station.

More details at www.writersanonymous.org.uk/sbf.html

Threelance Theatre Co. present Alan Bennett’s ‘Talking Heads’. These classic monologues from the writer of recent hit ‘The History Boys’ were first presented on Television in the late eighties. They became instant classics and are now being presented locally for the first time. Threelance Theatre Co. were set up in 2005, since then they have presented classic comedies and thrillers, winning Best Production in 2005 for ‘Abigails Party’, and have recently won awards for ‘Gaslight’ as well as staging a box office sell out run of ‘An Inspector Calls’ last year. They will be presenting the monologues ‘A Chip in the Sugar’, ‘A bed amongst the Lentils’ and ‘Her Big Chance’. performances take place between Thursday the 22nd and Saturday the 24th March at 7.45pm, in the Mezzanine Theatre, upstairs at the New Empire Theatre.
Tickets are only £5.00 as part of the Theatre’s Five pounds Theatre Season. Call the box office on 01702 353577 monday to saturday 11.00am – 5.00pm

Information on the New Empire Theatre’s Spring and Summer 2007 schedule, has been added to our site.

See http://www.sarfend.co.uk/newempire.html

Palace Theatre to re-open. It seems that we can expect the Palace Theatre in Westcliff to re-open in time for Christmas 2006. HQ Theatres has been names as the new management company charged with looking after the Palace as well as the Cliffs Pavilion.

Palace Theatre to close. Public protest Saturday 29th Jan, Southend High Street. More.