☀️🕙SOUTHEND PIER MOVES TO AUTUMN OPENING HOURS🕗☀️ As of today (Monday 22 September), Southend Pier & Railway moves to its summer opening hours. These are: 🕙Mondays to Sundays: 10.15 to 18.00 Last entrance is one hour before closing.

Local cultural and community organisation Brazilarte have joined with @SE_CE_MIND to offer a free eight week intro course to Brazilian jui jitsu, along with "chats on the mats". Starting this Wednesday, from 19.00 to 20.30, you can learn the fundamentals of Brazilian jui jitsu.

The iconic Southend seafront fireworks will be returning once again this year. Every Saturday from this Saturday (27 September) through to 15 November, the Estuary will be lit up by free firework displays, organised by The Seaside Partnership.

I had a great time this weekend at Grrrl Zine Fair at the Old Waterworks. I even got to have a go at screen printing! We're so lucky to have such a fantastic, thriving creative community in Southend. Well done to all those who worked hard to make the event a success.

Weird, I'm sure I was told that late, game-saving goals were "lucky" and "bad" 🤔 #ARSMCI

THE RED ROSES, INTO THE WORLD CUP FINAL! GET IN!!!

Good luck to the Red Roses, facing France in the semi-final this afternoon. 80 minutes from the final. Come on, girls, you've got this!

🏡PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED THIS WEEK🏡 Each week I post details of any planning applications received by the Council in the past week, within #KursaalWard. This week there were two.

Stuck for what to do this weekend? Why not try one of the free music events at Priory Park? This weekend the acts are: ❖Saturday: Essex Concert Band ❖Sunday: The Southend Band Acts perform between 15.00 and 16.30.

With over 70k poppies donated for Poppies on the Pier, we now have enough to line BOTH SIDES of Southend Pier! 2.66 miles of crocheted and knitted chains now need thousands of poppies attached. This is where you come in. You can help by joining one of our Sewing Sessions!

🗣PUBLIC QUESTIONS AT SOUTHEND COUNCIL - 16 OCTOBER🗣 Did you know that any resident of the City of Southend can ask questions to the cabinet of Southend-on-Sea City Council at full council meetings?

The Southchurch Business Expo 2025 is taking place today at Southend Christian Fellowship, the Plaza, until 12.00. It's a great opportunity to see some of the fantastic businesses we have locally in Southend and in Southchurch.

For anyone wanting to watch along from home, this meeting will be starting in approximately 10 minutes.

A reminder that the #KursaalWard councillors will be holding a community advice surgery, 16.30 to 18.30 tomorrow at Southend Adult Community College. Any #KursaalWard resident is welcome to come and speak to us about any local concern or personal issue. No appointment required.

The Southend Council SEND team will be holding a SEND surgery between 09.00 and 11.00 on Wednesday 24 September, at Hamstel Family Centre. These surgeries provide families with an informal opportunity to drop in, ask questions and receive help about a range of areas.

🗣PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING THIS EVENING🗣 This evening at 17.00 the Planning Committee of Southend-on-Sea City Council will be meeting to decide the applications on the agenda.

Absolutely no way that an online vote for the party name could go wrong...

Last night at Cabinet, I welcomed the new council policy which from next month will allow each Southend household one free collection of up to five items of bulky waste per year. This delivers on a Southend Labour election promise, and will help to cut down on fly tipping.

For someone adamantly opposed to environmentalism, Nigel Farage does seem to be recycling a lot of Tories.

Fantastic news that this Labour government is introducing the Hillsborough Law today. This will once and for all end the culture of cover-ups and hiding the truth, ensuring transparency, accountability, and support for bereaved families. #JFT97 #JusticeForThe97

This week, the items @southendfoodbank.bsky.social most urgently need are: 🥔Instant Mash 🥕Tinned Mixed Veg 🥫Tinned Rice Pudding 🍑Tinned Fruit 🍚1kg bags of Rice 🛍And strong re-useable carrier bags For info about donating food, opening hours, etc: southend.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/do...

🏡PLANNING DECISIONS LAST WEEK🏡 Each week I post details of any planning decisions made by Southend-on-Sea City Council in the past week, within #KursaalWard. Last week there was. Some decisions are made by officers on delegated powers, and others by the Planning Committee.

This Thursday is the third Southchurch Business Expo, organised by Southend City Council in partnership with @projectsouthchurch.bsky.social and sponsorship from Kursaal Plant Hire Ltd. The expo runs from 08.00 to 12.00, at The Plaza, 600 Southchurch Road.

For anyone wanting to watch along from home, this meeting will be starting in approximately 10 minutes.

If Reform have got a new MP doesn’t one of the others have to resign due to a scandal? Isn’t that the rule?

🚧HIGHWAY WORKS IN KURSAAL WARD THIS WEEK🚧 The following highway works are scheduled for this week either in #KursaalWard, or close enough to Kursaal ward to potentially affect residents.

🗣📅SOUTHEND COUNCIL MEETINGS THIS WEEK📅🗣 This week there are two meetings taking place at Southend-on-Sea City Council.

🗣SOUTHEND COUNCIL CABINET MEETING THIS EVENING🗣 This evening at 18.30 the Cabinet of Southend-on-Sea City Council will be meeting to discuss the matters on the agenda.

I have no words. The total number of knitted and crocheted poppies donated to Southend Pier & Railway has now topped SIXTY THOUSAND!

That green Liverpool third kit is a thing of beauty #BURLIV

This morning I - and many, many others - participated in Southend RNLI's Mulberry Fun Run. Though, yes, I walked rather than ran.

⚠YELLOW WEATHER WARNING FOR WIND: SUNDAY & MONDAY⚠ The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind from 20.00 on Sunday 14 September to 18.00 on Monday 15 September, which covers Southend. Be careful if you're going to be out and about in it.

🏡PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED THIS WEEK🏡 Each week I post details of any planning applications received by Southend-on-Sea City Council in the past week, within #KursaalWard. This week there were three.

This morning I'm at Belle Vue Baptist Church for the #KursaalWard councillors' ward advice surgery. Any ward residents are welcome to come along, no appointments required.

For anyone wanting to watch along from home, this meeting will be starting in approximately 10 minutes.

🗣FULL COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT🗣 This evening at 18.30 the Full Council of Southend-on-Sea City Council will be meeting, to debate the matters on the agenda.

For anyone wanting to watch along from home, this meeting will be starting in approximately 10 minutes.

🗣FULL COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT🗣 This evening at 18.00 the Full Council of Southend-on-Sea City Council will be holding an extraordinary meeting, to debate the matters on the agenda, chiefly the proposed reorganisation of local government in Essex.

🗣FULL COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT🗣 This evening at 18.00 the Full Council of Southend-on-Sea City Council will be holding an extraordinary meeting, to debate the matters on the agenda, chiefly the proposed devolution to a Greater Essex combined mayoral authority.

The next Local Community Meeting (LCM) for the Central Southend area will be taking place at 19.30 on Wednesday 11 June at the Civic Centre. This is a great opportunity to come and hear what the police are doing in the area, and to feedback to them about any local issues.

This week, the items @southendfoodbank.bsky.social most urgently need are: 🥫Rice Pudding 🍚Microwave rice 🥛UHT milk 🥫Tins of soup 🥣Breakfast cereal 🛍And strong re-useable carrier bags For info about donating food, drop-off points, opening hours, etc: southend.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/do...

🚧HIGHWAY WORKS IN KURSAAL WARD THIS WEEK🚧 The following highway works are scheduled for this week either in #KursaalWard, or close enough to Kursaal ward to potentially affect residents.

🏡PLANNING DECISIONS LAST WEEK🏡 Each week I post details of any planning decisions made by the Council in the past week, within #KursaalWard. Last week there were two. Some decisions are made by officers on delegated powers, and others by the Planning Committee.

🗣📅SOUTHEND COUNCIL MEETINGS THIS WEEK📅🗣 This week there are three meetings taking place at Southend-on-Sea City Council.

This is certifiably mental. And this lot think they're ready to run the country? Conspiracy theories and incompetence, that's all they've got.

🏡PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED THIS WEEK🏡 Each week I post details of any planning applications received by the Council in the past week, within #KursaalWard. This week there were two.

🤔

Angela Rayner resigning had to happen. If she hadn't, the PM would have to sack her. It's a shame she's ended up in this situation, as she's achieved a lot in her cabinet role. But people voted for a change from the endless sleaze of the Tories, so this could only end one way.

Stuck for what to do this weekend? Why not try one of the free music events at Priory Park? This weekend the acts are: ❖Saturday: No performance this week ❖Sunday: Essex Police Band Acts perform between 15.00 and 16.30.

Call me old fashioned, but going abroad to badmouth your country and beg an ally to put sanctions on it doesn't seem very patriotic to me. My sort of patriotism is in those people who every day seek to make their country and community better, rather chasing power and attention.