Have you seen the latest article doing the rounds? I think that it is firmly tongue in cheek or at least I hope it is!

It states that there is a group of people calling for long term residents of Leigh on Sea to wear red wristbands. Residents that have lived in the town for over 15 years should be easily recognised and not made to feel marginalised by the new Hipsters moving in with all of their trendy accompaniments.

This group was quoted as being the ‘Quinoa revolution’ and their demands are making long term residents feel that they are being left behind and confused. Apparently just because these long term residents can’t recite the 164 different species of bulgar wheat or don’t know what yellow concave bahama berries are they should not be made to feel uncomfortable for their lack of knowledge. Bananas, by the way. But there could also be a backlash.

Newbies to the town are concerned that there will be a ‘saw you coming tax’. Retailers will spot an opportunity to hike prices for out of towners, day trippers and the bearded, tattooed new guys flocking to our town.

Now as you can tell I reckon that this is all a bit of a wind up and it certainly made me chuckle. I obviously appreciate that our town has changed over the years and it is more popular then ever which means it is hard now for people to be able to afford to move into the town. The Broadway is always busy and nobody can park, but I personally feel that we are fortunate to have been able to keep the feel of the town. Shops may change, but this is inevitable. It is down to supply and demand.

My colleague, Anthony, was walking through the Broadway at the weekend and overheard a couple talking. They were obviously visiting the area and the husband commented that you wouldn’t go short of places to eat in this town. This is true, we have got lots of bars, restaurants and cafes and lots of estate agents! But, we are all busy and people keep using them so you can’t blame people for keep opening them.

The important things that give our town the feeling are the community events and the people. The area now is predominantly made up of young families who mostly involve themselves in school events or clubs with the children of which there are plenty. The mums obviously enjoy their coffee and cake during the day whilst the little darlings are busy or use facilities like gyms or the usual retail therapy.

Big events in the town are know well renowned and volunteer recruits are always welcome to help out on things like The May Day Parade, Art Trail or Christmas lights. These types of things are what make our town great and are the lasting appeal for people hoping to move into the area. People don’t really care about how many outlets they can buy Goji berries in or the fact that the majority of people read the Daily Telegraph rather than the Daily Mirror.

There is a case to be heard that we could become victims of our own success and turn in to the new Hoxton or Shorditch. Me personally, well I would hate it. I can’t imagine a time where we become like London, loosing that community spirit, where people don’t take a minute to stop and say good morning to each other or chat about the weather (or the state of the parking) and just pass each other by without a word and ignore fellow residents.

I have faith that we can have the best of both worlds; We can have a thriving town, with a busy Broadway and young trendies investing iin it whilst still maintaining the integrity of our community and friendly village like feel. Naïve? I hope not.

This article is by Rob Kahl at Scott & Stapleton
Tel: 01702 471155

To read Rob's previous property articles, please click the link https://www.leigh-on-sea.com/tag/listing/blog/property