Essexology on the road

Something of an Essexology-fest yesterday. Appeared on the Iain Dale Show on LBC at 12.30pm discussing my new book The Joy of Essex, managing to bring in Islanders chip shop in Canvey Island, tea dances in Saffron Walden, Paul Simon writing Homeward Bound about returning to Brentwood, the Basilwood sign on the A127 and the Roman arch in Colchester. Then took a taxi with a cabbie from Hornchurch to sell books at the Newham Bookshop stall at Goldsmith's Row in Hackney, near the Columbia Road flower market. Mentioning "Are you from Essex" or "Do you know anyone from Essex?" brought an interesting response from the flower market crowd. Bemusement from Swedish and Danish tourists, a look of horror from arty types and a clamour to buy the book from a Dr Feelgood fan from Barking and David from Chigwell whose daughter recently spotted Spurs' manager AVB in Sheesh. Should hit the target readership next Saturday, as there's a signing at the Newham Bookshop from 3.30pm before the West Ham versus Manchester City game.

A nice Essex dictionary from the Essex Chronicle…Amy Childs may want to talk to the man who wrote it!

The Joy of Essex out soon

My new book The Joy of Essex is published on Oct 30. Featuring my epic climb to the top of the Basildon Hollywood-style sign on the A127, an exploration of Bas Vegas, Lucy off Towie in her boutique, bovine attacks in Canvey Island, Henry Moore and Mr Drew in Harlow, lashings of Tiptree jam, the not very secret anymore nuclear bunker at Kelvedon Hatch, Ken Dodd in Clacton, the first pub in Frinton, Roman arches in Colchester, the most dangerous alley in Romford, Stanford-no-Hope, Phill Jupitus getting wistful about sunshine on Leigh and much much more...

In a Pickles over Essex

Eric Pickles, MP for Brentwood, has gone all Towie at the Tory conference, despite being a Yorkshireman. Pickles told the Tory boys and girls: "Now, I’m proud to have been born and bred in Yorkshire, but Essex is my home now.I have been transformed from a Yorkshire TYKE to an Essex TOWIE. My constituency is the location of the television programme The Only Way Is Essex. It’s fun TV and we all enjoy it. But there is another Essex Value that runs deep in the DNA of our Party:- if you work hard, you can go far. It’s a message well understood by Margaret Thatcher, John Major and by David Cameron." Wonder if he'll be going down Sugar Hut soon?

Grayson's gaff

Grayson Perry is to design a fairytale holiday home that the Guardian describes as "a cross between a wayside chapel and a fairytale gingerbread house" on the Tendring Peninsula. It will overlok the River Stour six miles west of Harwich. Strangely there's no crashed car coming out of the roof, as there is on top of his vase Chelmsford Cissies. It's part of a scheme set up by philosopher Alain de Botton to "introduce holidaymakers to avant garde housing". The Turner Prize winning artist says he wants to get away from the Towie image of Essex girls and make the house a tribute to an Essex woman called Julie who wears purple and is more "in touch with her inner goddess". Not sure what he'll do if Gemma Collins comes along to book it having decided that the only wayside chapel in in Grayson's Essex.

Here's the cover of my new book The Joy of Essex out on October 15. Final proofs just left which is exciting... and note the Essex lion on top of the crest. Click on the link to read the blurb...

Heavy petting in Wickford

The Mail on Sunday sent Wickford-raised Liz Jones to Wickford's very own dog hotel The Essex Pooch Palace, run by Tracey Rust. (Click on the link to read Jones's piece.) Here dogs get pampered while their owners are out at work, have their very own stiletto-shaped dog bed and even a four-poster bed, all for £20. Liz likes the hotel though she doesn't seem to think too much of her home town of Wickford, "the last place in the world where globalisation hasn't reached". Maybe she prefers Barking. Liz is happier with the blonde staff of the Essex Pooch Palace though and pens a fierce defence of Essex Girls: "I have to wonder at people’s prejudice: not just about pampering pooches, but about a woman’s choice to dye her hair, and wear glittery nail polish, and a pink T-shirt, because Essex girls are feisty, fearless and clever beneath all that slap. Underestimate them at your peril."