JANUARY Southend Host Chelsea - Oh what a night in January, Southend featuring across the country live on ITV to play Chelsea in the FA Cup.  Earlier in the day the mighty Chelsea lunched at the Westcliff Hotel before arriving at a buzzing Roots Hall.  Could this go the same way as Man Utd a couple of years earlier when Southend shocked Rooney and Ronaldo with a 1-0 win.  Alas it wasn't to be and the home team lost 1-4.  A brave attempt that saw the Chelsea manager Scolari leave Stamford Bridge not long after.  For Southend it was a useful pay day.   

MARCH Next Arrives at the Victoria's - The 'Windy City' lost it's gale a while ago and now, against the current economic downturn is starting to ring in the changes for the better.    Thursday 19th March 2008, saw the grand opening of a huge 'Next' store, the 'king pin' in the Victoria's Shopping Centre.  Long awaited, but very welcome nonetheless.  Along with this fashion outlet is a new central coffee station positioned in the centre of the mall.

APRIL Southend Timeline is Live - After months of preparation.  This website was, as part of it's launch day (21st April) acknowledged as 'Website of the Day' on Southend Radio. Click

APRIL Flicks Across Town - The very first Southend Film festival was launched on 29th April 2009.  This unique event was further celebrated with a VIP screening at the Odeon on 30th with the film Shifty. Many of the actors and crew including the director made their way down the Red Carpet along with many guests, to provide an insight to the British film industry.  Venues across town including the Central Museum, and Clifftown Studios dropped their skirts to become unique cinema's and show a whole new side to their current offer.

Funicular Railway to be Refurbished -  The Cliff Lift, is having a makeover with the expectation this old landmark of Southend seafront will once again be running up and down the cliff.

JUNE Armed Forces Day - This year's Armed Forces Day was attended by the then head of the Armed Forces General Sir Richard Dannant:

Arise College Building - The new student accommodation development in London Road opposite Sainsburys has reached the 7th floor out of 15.  A monster building that will dominate the Southend skyline.

Travellodge - Planning permission has also been approved for social housing above the Travellodge in Warrior Square; it is proposed a further 11 stories will be added.

The Prudential Building - next to the university also received planning permission to have it turned into a hotel.  Dedman Gray the property agent has yet to find a hotelier interested but hope to soon.  This must be good news as it will make use of a redundant building and improve the level of hotels in the town; who no doubt will have the Olympics and beyond on their minds.

The Palace Hotel - After nearly 5 years of refurbishment 2009 saw the ugly scaffolding that covered the Palace Hotel finally removed.  The hotel promises to be the jewel in the crown that makes the seafront, and will be open Spring 2010.

JUNE Camp Bling - The area held by Camp Bling protestors, where the Saxon Prince finds were discovered on Priory Crescent, has been vacated completely.  The council have now fenced the area off and plan to site a fitting tribute to the Saxon Prince, but not before a further geometric survey of the area is carried out to finally see whether there might be other Saxon's buried nearby..

SEPTEMBER New Station for the Pier - As part of the ongoing improvement to Southend's most iconic feature the pier the new pierhead based station formerly opened on 16th September.  The new station has built into it the latest environmental technologies to ensure the positioning out into estuary can take full advantge of the natural reasources around it.

SEPTEMBER Road Plans - During September the council launched Transport Week where a number of plans to improve the borough's road were announced, including improving the movement of Cuckoo Corner with new technologically advanced traffic lights, as well as Progress Road, the other main bottleneck on the A127

SEPTEMBER Village Green - For the second year Metal based at the newly refurbished Chalkwell Hall, took over the whole of Chalkwell Park to entertain around 20,000 on a gloriously sunny Saturday in September.  The Blockheads, Billy Bragg and Camera Obscura took to the main stage, while the White Bus Company provided the film Yellow Submarine on a giant inflatable screen during the evening.  The Thursday previous saw Jarvis Cocker formally opening Chalkwell Hall a base to inspire growing artists.  The building designed with environmentally sound innovation throughout. Including two stylish wind turbines.

OCTOBER Pro Basketball in Southend - A new professional arrived in Southend.  The Essex Pirates will be playing from Southend Leisure and Tennis at Garon's Park this year.  Bringing a whole new sport genre to the town, supported fully by Southend Council, this new sporting attraction will, no doubt, bring with it further national recognition and new visitors to the town, and surely will not do the town's ambitions towards supporting an Olympic training camp any harm to.  The Essex Pirates started their campaign on 3rd October with a win 61-60 against London Capital

OCTOBER York Road Market is Closed - With 3 days notice the traders of York Road Market were told to pack up and close by Southend Council.  17th October would be there last trading day as a daming Health and Safety report claimed the market was unsafe to trade and shop in.

OCTOBER UK Cultural Status - Southend Council announced in October they would be putting the town in for the national competition to become UK Cultural City 2013.  Quite a status to achieve for such a small town with so many well established and much larger opponents.  But the press focus this is achieving at the end of the year is worth its weight in gold, and there are sure to be those curious to see why Southend thinks it can compete and may to visit to find out.  It can definitely do no harm.

OCTOBER Battle of the Bands - The Indian summer was welcome this year along the seafront as local band 'The Jons' stormed to victory at the second Battle of the Bands seven week competition.  The Jons are a fun band made up of five young guys who seem to be enjoying there turn in the spotlight. Jack, Olly, Neil and Sam formed there band in April 2006, (http://www.myspace.com/thejonsuk)

OCTOBER Southend United Head to Administration - Southend United Chairman Ron Martin announced on 27th October, that the club would be meeting with HMRC to consider putting the club into Administration.  This move comes about after an unpaid tax bill in the region of £660k if this action goes ahead it will see the club lose 10 points in Division 1.  There match against Gillingham on Friday 30th October saw a very supportive crowd on 8,000 watch Lee Barnard bang in an injury time winner to take the tie 1-0, and potentially a reduction now of 7 points if administration goes ahead. On 31st October, it was confirmed that the club had paid in full the outstanding debt totalling £2.1m, staving off the threat of administration.  The Shrimpers can sigh with relief and get back to playing serious football on the pitch.

NOVEMBER Set Back for the Pier - The grand plans for the pier hit a bad point when it was confirmed on 16th November the town's major attraction would not be receiving central government funding to the tune of £5m.  The council confirmed however it would still pursue ways to see the improvements made through alternative funding or from the town's capital funding purse.

DECEMBER Festive Snow Hits Town - Southend on 17th December was hit by a late night snow storm, bringing some 20cm's by the next morning; casuing almost all the schools to be closed for the last day of the Autumn term.  The snow storm was unusually lit up by a thunderstorm taking place simultaneously.  The white stuff did not last long enough however to make it formally a white Christmas.

DECEMBER Prittlewell Priory Gains Grant - News arrived in late December that the Pirttlewell Priory in Priory Park will gain some £1.3m funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.  This money will help refurbish this historic building and allow the public to access the whole building and its impressive collections.

Camp Bling dismantled after funding for the road is with drawn and the plan is scrapped.