"Good evening. I'm from Essex, in case you couldn't tell." Thus spoke the inimitable punk poet of the flat lands, Ian Dury, in 1977. Few other parts of England have so distinctive an identity, sent up by a hundred comedians since the 1990 birth of Essex Man, epitomised by the rise of the 'Mockney' radio celeb, and incarcerated through their hideous offspring in TV's The Only Way is Essex. It's not just an accent, it's a way of life, a culture shaped by the Diaspora from London generation after generation, the lure of the sea and powerful Thames estuary, the encroaching of the waters from innumerable creeks and inlets, the dream seaside resort of Southend, the longing for the most succulent of seafood indulgences, the delicious countryside of copses and boughs painted by Constable, but also the threat of invasion by hostile forces repelled by Britain's most formidable forts. It's Essex. You can tell. AUTHOR: Ed Glinert was born in Dalston, just outside London's East End. He trained as a journalist and founded City Life, Manchester's what's-on and hard news magazine in 1983. In the 1990s he worked for Private Eye magazine, writing the Rotten Boroughs column about council corruption. He has also contributed to the Sunday Times, Independent and the New Statesman. He was launch production editor for Mojo, the rock 'n' roll magazine. Glinert has written a number of books for major publishers including The London Compendium (2003) and East End Chronicles (2005). Since 2009 he has run the highly successful New Manchester Walks tour company. He also guides in London and Liverpool. SELLING POINTS: . The ultimate insider's guide to Essex . Features interesting and unusual places not found in traditional travel guides . Part of the international 111 Places/111 Shops series . Fully illustrated with 111 full-page colour photographs