Reputation

Reputation

Now most people will be aware that Basildon has its own epic reputation.  Starting in the 1970’s this reputation still stands strong. I feel that Basildon is more my home town than ever before. When I visit Kent I don’t get that feeling of home. Maybe I am true ESSEX, who knows. I maybe a snob deep down, I had never lived on a council estate, until I moved to ESSEX. The council estate I live on in Basildon is not the best kind but it is not the worst kind either. I feel I have been lucky in my location.

I was offered an exchange to Tilbury some time ago. I did consider the offer as I was at the time very anxious to get closer to Kent. So Tilbury would be one of a few steps. The house (from the pictures) seemed big and nice. I got to see this estate up close and personal this week. I had one of them OMG moments. I have had my eyes open to a different kind of estate. I felt uneasy a lot of the time. I was outside watching men playing with a car engine (yawn) but also this was comical. Especially when they have no clue what they are doing. I sat and admired the passion for trying and the positive comments they made to each other about getting it sorted. Often joking that, they should have spent the 200 quid out to go to the garage. It felt a lot like when I was young. Saturday’s were always spent looking under the bonnet of somebody’s car, admiring each others cars! (Boys eh) So I sat text-ing the local radio station ‘ Force FM’ telling them how the engine rebuild was going,( or not going) sending them some cracking jokes about how many Essex boys it takes to bolt on an alternator and such, let’s just say I kept myself amused for the hours I was there. I took my OU book with me but it felt like it should not have been on the estate. I was worried that someone would try and use it for roach!

As we were sat outside many people walked past us. This interested me a lot as I have a real interest in people. I was watching two women having a row. This was awkward. (Yes I am a curtain twitchier!) I feel that I can cuss with the best of them but this Doris was very creative. Anyway, I was struggling not to gawk at the row, yet everyone else carried on as usual like it was not happening. Made me think, holy shit this happens all the time... clearly.

One of the guys helping was older. Women with pushchairs walked past saying to their kids, ‘Say hello to granddad.’ … (The older guy) Now, 3 different women walked passed and said this. I was gagging to ask WTF. But it all came clear to me the next time I was up on the estate. As for some shocking reason the engine did not get fixed. LOL the sons of the older bloke, can’t seem to keep their dicks in their pants. 12 grandchildren! One of his son’s came down and was talking, then a woman with a buggy came up to him, spoke with him for a few minutes before he walked back to the car. She started yelling and name calling. Again, my head whipped up to gawk and no one else took a blind bit of notice, she was screaming for him to go fuck himself and yet no one said anything. Not a single ‘what was that about?’  It seemed that most people that walked past were smoking weed or drinking from a can. I knew this sort of social behaviour existed but I had not really seen it so blatantly out there before. I watched a couple of girls walking past, I was admiring her shoes- she kissed threw her teeth at me. LOL I find this very interesting and  funny on a sick level. It made me feel very lucky, Judgmental? Yes, perhaps but still, my chooses have all been my own. I can not blame anyone for how my life has turned out. I may be a cliché at this moment in time. However, my journey is not over yet J

I would not move to this estate if you paid me to. Would I pick location over the house – yes I would. I am not sure why I feel a pain of guilt by admitted this. Maybe I feel that I am being a hypocrite in some way. Snob or have I just got standards? I feel lucky being here in Basildon than in Tilbury, even with the neighbours I have got and the drama I do have around this area. Perhaps I have felt that I was seen as that kind of person on a council estate by friends and family members, I mean let’s face it, the whole concept of council estates has its own stereotypical reputation.  (But mainly from people that don’t live on one.) The fact I didn’t grow up on one has allowed me to know what it is like on the other side.

Now this may seem like a weird thing to post but with the recent events that have happened in London and close to home here in Basildon. It has me thinking more about the ‘why’ I sat on this estate and lots of people spoke about what was happening around the city. There was no ‘Come on, let’s go join in!’ They seemed to be as concerned about the state of social behaviour as I was and just wanted to stop the idiots involved. The feeling around me was - disappointed