The Life and Lives of Rochford : Awareness of a Community
Each weekday, all over Rochford (and Ashingdon), as happens all over the country, early in the morning a light appears here and then there and then there as people wake and start the process that is culminated by their exit from the house some time later. Some of the early risers make their way to the station on their daily trek to London, while others ease their car onto the main road as they head for London, Basildon, Southend and a variety of other work destinations. School children later emerge, numbers to walk to King Edmunds, catch a bus to Greensward, or a bus or train to other secondary schools or colleges further away. A while after them smaller children, mostly accompanied by a parent, wend their way to one of the half a dozen or so Junior or Primary Schools. All the while, individuals are leaving for work, some in Rochford, some in Ashingdon,some in Southend. Lights come on in shops and businesses around the area, voices are heard uttering greetings. Some come in to Rochford and work, either by train or by car parked in back roads. Back in homes others arise later and wonder what the day holds. They will be the retired, the housewife or the unemployed. These are the lives of Rochford. How fascinating it would be to have a silent and invisible helicopter hovering high over the area with a camera observing all these lives making their way to the next phase of today’s life.
Travel around the area in the day and observe the life. Mostly it is in small numbers as people come and go from shops and businesses around town. On Tuesdays the numbers out and about swell in Rochford Square with the advent of the market. Saturday mornings sometimes see larger numbers out and about. Sunday mornings see a quietness over the area which gives way to cars homing in on fields and churches and young footballers and the faithful gather for their different activities. During Saturday and Sunday mornings the main roads get busier with traffic mainly pouring out of the area to shop in Southend or further afield. Middle to later weekend afternoon and the traffic flows back home.