The Essex Liberation Front lives!

Enjoyed listening to Ian Sansom's Essex, My Essex on Radio 4 on Friday. Loved the section on the Essex Liberation Front, a spoof revolutionary organisation formed by Richard Edwards, Phill Jupitus and myself ("three blokes in the pub" was my description to Sansom) back in 1990. Its aim was to restore culture back to Essex - all very prescient post-Towie. 

The documentary managed to dig out the BBC South East coverage of the ELF's press conference and broadcast an ancient recording of our classic demands from 24 years ago, including an economy based on Tiptree jam and a younger version of this Essex Man shouting "self-determination for Essex!" Though if Vladimir Putin is reading this, you don't need to worry about us too much, as we're still in the process of annexing the county.

Other highlights of the half-hour show included posh limerick-writer George Courtauld, the the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Essex, stopping to shoot a pheasant, as you do, Penny Rimbaud from Crass discussing his open-doored alternative haven at Dial House, the Protect and Survive broadcast in the Secret Nuclear Bunker at Kelvedon Hatch, and Sansom's cousin exclaiming "geezer!' upon Sansom's return to the county from his Northern Irish home. A fine eclectic view of a much-misunderstood county. Click on the link to hear on iPlayer.