Well everyone and everything from that county really and especially the Essex landscape. I may have spent most of my youth in Cambridgeshire, but my home town, St Neots, ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/chubbster/3257379965/ ) is Essex without being in the county. It was/is a market town in striking distance of London full of expats from the East End, many of whom had a real love/hate affair with the Smoke. Bit like Chelmsford then...
So over the years I have developed a real affection for the county. I really love the faded seaside glamour of Southend (especially the magnificent pier http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulforsdick/98020777/ ), the Art Deco village of Silver End (http://www.flickr.com/photos/moxette/131916555/ ), the north bank of the Thames (especially Tilbury and the bizarre Bata constructions of East Tilbury http://www.flickr.com/photos/nina_pope/121902463/ ), and the artists enclave that is Wivenhoe (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rmscott45/2663681895/ ).
Even Canvey island and its gorgeous Labworth cafe (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgeezer/3245541084/ ) and Dr Feelgood connections is well worth a quick pilgrimage.
If Essex were the coastal bit north of Manhattan it would be eulogised in hundreds of great pop songs. All Essex has though is this
I think it is hugely under-rated.
So you can bet your life that I'll be going to see Fish Tank http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2009/sep/14/fish-tank-essex this week
