Quirky City of Southend

Dee Gordon

Sep 2026 · Amberley Publishing Limited

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About this ebook

Southend-on-Sea is situated on the Thames Estuary but the originally small settlement grew rapidly in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as it became a popular resort, showcased by the world’s longest pleasure pier and what remains of the Kursaal, an early amusement park. The city’s quirky history goes back to its early years and encompasses the last men to be hanged in the country for sheep stealing in 1820, the 1850s religious sect known as the Peculiar People, one of the world’s first sightings of a UFO during the First World War and many more curious stories. Today’s Southend, which has been a city since 2022, carries on this history of individuality.

In Quirky City of Southend author Dee Gordon delves into lesser-known but fascinating tales from the city’s past. Readers will find stories of the unusual and often strange history of Southend and its characters over the years. This intriguing insight will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.

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About the author

Dee Gordon is an adopted Essex girl, having started life in the East End of London. She has been living in the Southend area since 1983 and since selling her recruitment business in 2000, she has written numerous local history books including Southend Memories, The Little Book of the East End and Famous Essex Authors. She thoroughly enjoyed studying for her belated B.A.Hons. in English Literature with the Open University and is a member of the Society of Women Writers and Journalists, contributing to magazines such as Essex Life, Best of British, This England and Who Do You Think You Are?

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