Southend’s seaside goes to the Southbank

'A Great Day Out on Sea', a huge floral exhibit created by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Parks Team, has been wowing crowds since the event opened to the public in April.

And now the Essex town, which is bidding for city status as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, is preparing to take centre stage on the south bank of the Thames again.

'Seaside with Southend-on-Sea', a series of largely free interactive events, will run at the Southbank Centre from Thursday 4th August to Sunday 7th August.

Attractions include

·         Thursday 4th August from 6.30pm to 10pm - 'Hide and Seek Sandpit' at the Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall - an evening of seaside themed games for adults with Hide & Seek, the Southbank Centre's new artists in residence (free admission)

·         Saturday 6th August at 11am - 'Southbank Parade' at the Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall - the seaside comes indoors with crazy golf winding its way around the ballroom (admission £1.75 to non-members)

·         Saturday 6th August at 11am - 'METAL Busking Stage' at Riverside Terrace - watch poets and musicians perform a mix of seaside-themed sets and have a go at Poetry Bingo (free)

·         Saturday 6th August - 'Beach Regatta' at Queens Walk - a Southend scout group competes with a rival troop at traditional seaside regatta games such as Tug of War and Sedan Chair Racing (free)

·         Saturday 6th August at 5pm - 'The Southend Waltz Tea Dance' at Riverside Terrace - dance to the recently rediscovered Southend Waltz and glorious sounds from the 1920s and 1930s to the present day, with Oo-Bop- Sh'Bam and Paul Taylor's Tea Dance Orchestra (free)

·         Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th August from 12noon to 4pm - 'Monsters of the Sea' workshop at Queens Walk - write your own sea legend stories with the help of storyteller Rachel Rose Reid (free)

·         Sunday 7th August at 12noon - 'Seaside Singalong' at the Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall - singalong to sea shanties with the help of Voicelab (free)

·         Sunday 7th August at 1pm - 'Seaside Dance and Brass' at the Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall - a programme of sea-inspired music performed by Meridian Brass (free)

·         Sunday 7th August from 3pm to 5pm - 'One Man Band' at the Bandstand - a chance to see Pete Moser, the fastest one-man band in the World who can play over 139 instruments (free)

·         Sunday 7th August from 3pm to 5pm - 'Pop-Up Seaside Choirs' at Queens Walk - watch pop-up choirs entertain crowds with songs of the sea (free)

·         Sunday 7th August at 5.30pm - 'The Goldmaster All-Stars' perform at the Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall - see a 10-piece band playing ska instrumentals, laid-back rock steady grooves and heavy-roots reggae (free)