"The Pier Is Southend, Southend Is The Pier"

So said John Betjeman, one of my heroes. 

I joined my sister and her family on a Memory Walk today to raise funds for the Alzheimer's Society. We walked in memory of our mother who suffered from vascular dementia towards the end of her life.

I used to come to Southend with my paternal granny as a child. We would dine on fish and chips in a plush restaurant with waitress service.

I've never been on the pier before. Why didn't my parents bring me?

We loved it, the ozone and the holiday ambiance. Our train was Sir John Betjeman. At the end of the longest pier in the world we found a little bird. I think it might have been a young turnstone. Since our mother died my sister associates small birds with her.

I haven't been on holiday since 2006 but I got the feeling today. :)