Jaywick kicks up a storm in US politics

One of the publicity shots for Benefits by the Sea

Hard to believe that Jaywick is now causing shockwaves in the United States' midterm elections. Just watched the recording of Have I Got News of You and a picture of Jaywick was one of the picture quiz items. Host Victoria Coren, Paul Merton, Ian Hislop, Judge Rinder and Janey Godley had a lot of fun with the image. The picture of Jaywick, complete with potholes and dilapidated homes, came from the Facebook campaign of Nick Stella, a Republican ally of Donald Trump. Over the picture of the Essex village it announced, "Only you can stop this from becoming reality." Today's Guardian has a feature on the furore. 

Stella's campaign has caused predictable outrage in Essex, with the locals pointing out that the US has plenty of dodgy trailer parks it can photo, and in any case the Jaywick road has now been covered in tarmac and many improvements have been made to the village since it was declared the most deprived neighbourhood in the UK in 2005 and then featured in the TV programme Benefits by the Sea. The locals are right. Jaywick might have had its problems, but it has a lovely beach and a lot of potential now the council is putting some investment into the place. It's not ready to be part of the US rust belt just yet. 

Sky's the limit at Clacton

PICTURE: KAY BURLEY TWITTER

The media's obsession with Essex continues. Sky News has been broadcasting live from Clacton-on-Sea today with Kay Burley live on Clacton beach, which is looking pretty glorious in the sunshine. She's also been doing live links from in front of the pier, complete with fish and chip shop. The reason Sky is there is that Clacton is Britain's most Eurosceptic town — though the Guardian recently claimed this was Romford. Anyway, Claction is represented by Ukip's Douglas Carswell, who defected from the Conservatives. 

Sky News has been interviewing residents of the German town which is twinned with Clacton (they want the UK to stay) and the locals in Clacton, and has even taken Douglas Carswell to Poland. Burley has also pondered how the huge wind farm in the sea off Clacton would fare without European subsidies. She's there all day so check it out on Sky News. And a nice day out for the news crew… let's hope they have a go on the slot machines and some chips before returning to London.

Tendring is the night

Just spent an enjoyable couple of days in Clacton-on-Sea on the Tendring Peninsula. Our youngest daughter loved the pier with its helter skelter and grabbing machines and two pence cascades. Great fish and chips too at Geo's and a lovely B&B at the Chudleigh, where Carol and Peter were very friendly hosts. Clacton also has Martello Towers from the Napoloeonic wars. A mile down the coast is the old 'plotlands' settlement of Jaywick Sands which has superb beaches but is the most deprived region in the UK according to a 2011 government report, with bungalows going for just fifty grand. Northwards is Frinton, which is so posh it only got a pub in 2000 and has a bookshop and gallery where they discuss border terriers and literature, delis, chic kitchenware shops, Zen Art Ltd and an excellent foodie cafe in the Hat and Mouse.

You can reach both Clacton and Frinton in less than two hours by train from Liverpool Street and the wide beaches of this Essex hinterland suggest it's a much undervalued resource. There's another pier at Walton-on-the-Naze, great views across the landscape to the weird cranescape of Harwich and generally a bit of something for everyone on the Tendring Peninsula, aka the "Essex Sunshine Coast", including an offshore wind farm. Though this being Britain on a bank holiday, it did rain most of the time…