Two Essex history graduates and a PhD student studying the development of seaside resorts will be among those presenting their research into the history of Southend at a special event on Saturday 17 March.

Talks will cover the heyday of Southend as a seaside resort, the impact of the Second World War and 19th century migration patterns in Rochford.

‘Showcasing Southend’ has been organised by the Centre for Local and Regional History in the Department of History at the University of Essex and will also cover exciting new local history projects focusing on the town.

The programme features presentations by Ian Yearsley and Samantha Carter who have just completed postgraduate courses at the Department and Andrew Senter who is completing a PhD at Essex.

They will be joined by VCH Essex editor Dr Chris Thornton who will talk about plans to research life in 19th century Southend and Lowell Weir from the Southend Carnival Project

Talks include:

• Ian Yearsley – ‘In, Out, Shaken All About: Migration into, out of, and within the Rochford Hundred in Essex in 1881’;
• Samantha Carter – ‘The impact of the Second World War on Southend-on-Sea’;
• Andrew Senter – ‘Blackpool of the South: Leisure at Southend-on-Sea, 1890-1914’;
• Dr Chris Thornton – ‘Victorian County History for Essex and the Seaside’;
• Lowell Weir – ‘The Southend Carnival Project’.

A new local history module on Southend will also be launched at the event. The module will be led by Ian Yearsley and will be part of the Certificate of Continuing Education in Local Historical Studies programme offered by the Centre for Local and Regional History.

‘Showcasing Southend’ is at The Gateway Building, Elmer Approach, Southend, from 2 to 5pm on Saturday 17 March.

Tickets are £2 and registration forms are available from the main desk in The Gateway Building, Southend Campus or by phone on 01702 328200 and from the Department of History general office on Colchester Campus or by phone on 01206 872190. They can also be downloaded from www.essex.ac.uk/history/research/Local_History/LRH-News-Events.aspx.

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Notes to Editors

For more information contact the University of Essex Communications Office on 01206 874377 or e-mail: comms@essex.ac.uk.