Also in the Evening Standard

Harringay got TWO mentions in the Standard today - Richard Godwin mentioned this local seaside trip by train in his column.

You can also get off the train a stop earlier, at South Benfleet, and walk through Hadleigh country park which has fantastic Estuary views, to Leigh. Or do it the other way round.

(Tip - it works out cheaper if you use Oyster as far as Barking and then buy a day return to Leigh. Also worth checking in advance in case of weekend replacement bus service, which would be a lot less fun!)

Thames-on-sea

London's nearest beach, I discovered at the weekend, is a little more than an hour away from my flat in Harringay. Overground to Barking, and before you know it you’re in Leigh-on-Sea with its 85p oysters and its disoriented West Ham fans. We spent the day wandering up the coast, admiring the Canvey Island oil refinery, listening to the local rockabilly bands and watching the elderly bathers at Westcliff. Finally, we strolled into Southend-on-Sea: a far less pretentious Brighton, with far better rollercoasters. The Thames Estuary is quite a gem, you know. Let’s hope it stays that way.