How French Is Essex?

[Baldric]

Watching ITV+1 News. they were just talking to someone who has recently moved to Whitstable saying how nice it was to be able to see France just across the water, I always thought that was the Essex Coast, we live and learn ;o)

[Flonska]

A bit far, Tilly - esp since the filming of League of Gentleman for this town took place in Hadfield, Derbyshire

[Flonska]

Layer de la Haye near Colchester sounds a mite french n'est ce pas?

[Tilly2]

Oh!

[ichkeria]

Whitstable’s in Kent.
Still a challenge to see France I’d have thought tho

[rowanwitch]

Hainault is another fressex place pronounced hay nult not to rhyme with renault

[Buenchico]

I agree that it sounds (very) French, Flonska, but both Theydon Bois and Layer de la Haye take their names from local landowners.

Royston Vasey was born in Yorkshire.

[rowanwitch]

Whitstable is on the Kent side of the outer Thames estuary, look to sea in Whitestone you would be looking north

[Tilly2]

Is Royston Vasey a person?

[rowanwitch]

Not Whitestone Whitstable

[Jackdaw33]

Royston Vasey is the real name of the vulgar comedian Roy 'Chubby' Brown.

[Buenchico]

>>> Still a challenge to see France I’d have thought tho

Especially as you're facing north when looking out to sea!

(You can see France easily from Langdon Cliffs at Dover, and possibly from other nearby parts of that coastline, but definitely not from the north coast of the county!)

[Buenchico]

>>> Royston Vasey is the real name of the vulgar comedian Roy 'Chubby' Brown

Agreed. When The League of Gentlemen was first transmitted on Radio 4 the name of the town was Spent. It was only changed to Royston Vasey (as a dig at Roy Chubby Brown) when the programme transferred to TV.

[Tilly2]

Well, I never!

[ABSpareEditor]

I have moved this thread into the category "People & Places".

[Tashi]

If I am honest when I first came down for a week end, my first thought when we were on the 'front was that we were looking at France until B. pointed out Southend. I did not get out much at the time.