The Poorest Place In England: Jaywick 🇬🇧

I know people that are so poor they have to choose between Heating and eating jaywick has been officially the most deprived area in the UK for around a decade I was only earning £250 a day I was only earning £30 a week yeah but they call it CLA on speed in jaywick one of the best jobs was crime this place has been slagged off all the time no one gives the monkeys because it's jaywick I'm Danny Slug and I do all that I can in my own time for the community and there must be some kind of way out of here said the Joker to the thief good afternoon welcome to jaywick once a popular Seaside town is now one of the poorest places to live in England as sumers nearly ending I thought I'd give it a chance we meeting up with Danny a local resident who told me he can show us around and see what life in jaywick is really like let's go [Music] airplane look Wesley shine on Spitfire there it is and they said we're deprived we got airlanes that is not deprived to me and J it there ain't any problems really it's just you know we get them problems wherever you live but sometimes we think it's just us but when you look all around the world we've all got problems the best thing to do is solve them in a 1952 Morris Miner let's go let go go Wesley yes I am insured honestly all right them days are behind me [Music] sh here we go Wesley let's go so what is it automatic no it's manual oh so manual use that you a got the numbers so first gear but yeah tell me about J this was this was once a really thriving place when J was built in the 1930s we was a holiday Resort we had Butlins in claton and basically everyone used to come to jock because it was an over spill it was an over spill for butling yeah yeah then butling shot in 1984 so jayi really suffered when butling shot because obviously a million people a year came to claton when buts was open once they took that away we lost 1 million people a year right right so that that's why joic suffered yeah why did it close what happened to it basically the council were charging them rent and the guy that built butling said can you not charge us rent while we do it up but the council would kept charging them so that meant that butling left and would you say most of the people that have lived here they lived here like most their life like yourself or do you get some new people coming in yeah you get the regulars and the local people like me you know that have lived here for many many years and then you get people that are moving in with their families I've noticed lately there's a lot of young young families moving in yeah more than have ever lived here before right right Co I love you hey shine on they're like a local hero around there yeah they they are my hero too J ex changed a lot in my lifetime when I first moved here there was loads of amusements arcades loads of pubs there was so much more going on but as time's gone on that's all gone away now you know it's now there a couple of pubs left but it's not the jaywick I remember you know but it's still jaywick and it's still great this is one of the more nicer areas yeah is hey how you doing shine on I say shine on CU my mom died when I was 14 but she painted Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon on the wall and their catchphrase is shine on Crazy Diamond right so I say shine on in honor of my mom and when people ask me why do I say it I can tell them about my mom right so it's a way of keeping my mom alive yeah bringing the story together so the story is my mom my mom is the story and I am the story so through my eyes my mom sees life but where does that positive asud come from obviously we're by the sea but when people say oh I live in deprived poor Aria you might think they might be a bit down on their luck but no my attitude is I always make the most of life I had a very hard life I went to prison eight times my mom died when I was 14 I've always lived in jayt where there's not so many opportunities with all of that backdrop in my life I had to be positive I had to be strong and I've always thought today can be anything today I can go anywhere you know a bit like only Falls and aties this time next year I can be a millionaire yeah yeah and I've always had that attitude you know definitely so I'm just hoping that it's contagious May other people feel my passion cuz I love jaywick and so would they love jaywick if they came here you know yeah a lot of people that say things about jaywick they don't actually come to jaywick so how can you have an opinion please come to jaywick for yourself I Danny Slug it will show you around and show you that it's not deprived and there was a fire here about a week and a half ago um four houses burnt down so basically the community came together and people that give me things to give to others gave me a brand new Sony television they gave me DVD players they gave me a notepad computer and I made sure all of the victims got that right so I've done my own bit you know that's why I created the jit own happy Club to give people the voice but I'm going to show you what's left of their houses now here it is on the right how how did it burn down did someone do it or someone was having a fire next to one of the buildings and the wind picked up and it was an accident as far as I'm aware wow and this is what's left now it's a shame is it that's their homes but is it because the houses are built so close together that's very easy to yeah it's cuz it was high wind and it's just an accident they're all living in hotels now and the whole communities come together to help them you know that's what jick's about so we shine them on and we love them this place has been slagged off all the time and it's not as bad as people say it is people come down and make videos and they go around and they find the worst places they can film film it and say this place is a dump they don't go around and look at the good places and that's about all I got to tell you as as a local what are the good things that you see just day to day that people don't really get to see the friendship and comrad between people that live here everybody knows each other and we're all together well one bad app just b a barrel doesn't it yeah and it's just and I got married but yeah jick itself has this label attached has been one of the poorest areas in England how does that make you feel as a local quite epic the buing be yeah because if it was one of the dearest we won't be here and the beach would be absolutely flooded with they not for a better word yappies yeah and we wouldn't be at F to be yeah some people that was spoken to it have made the most of it and they can buy a property at a good price and affordable price and you know maybe make some money off that as well yeah we paid 70 grand for this 14 years ago everyone's so friendly you know you can sit out here all day and spend all day just talking to people everyone talks to you everyone's friendly and I don't think it deserves the reputation it's got this is our home you know yeah this is where we live that's the best flag I've seen all day in Aral yeah you got Aral supporters here look my kind of people but people talk about this area being one of the poorest within England but when you live by the Sea it can't be that bad can it no no I mean the winters can get very long because you in the summer we get a lot of tourists in the winter it can they can be very long but we've just built this new Sunspot it cost over5 million it's got loads of shops in it loads of units a cafe and you can go there for weddings and receptions and you're going to see it in a minute for the first time there it is the mighty Sunspot see it yeah and that is a brand new investment for jaywick how you doing all right shine on so look at this amazing building we got hairdressers we got antiques we got clothes we got scooters we got ice creams we got toilets we have an undercover Market bit there so this is where the main hustle and bustle is yeah yeah it's it's becoming like that aen I'll bring Nigel farage down here I'll bring him to you they speaking about him is it people like him who need to you know help the community and actually make make a difference thank you I've been waiting years for Nigel fors to come to jaywick because he actually gets things done I've even planted plants in these poles Wesley I've even satting them pretending I'm having a bath look at the size of these Pooles though massive like you can put your foot in it like it's look how big it is yeah so you can imagine the bus service is not happy with these holes yeah no definitely so what I do is I come out and make videos about the potholes saying can someone come out the cancel or someone come out and fix the potol so we keep our bus service you can see why the bus service is going to stop can't you you can totally stand inside that one and this one look at it that's about 8 in deep in it that's awful yeah you could have a bath that can you I mean this is the prime spot this is where you want to go go to the beach and this is where everyone's going to drive by this is the J prominade we do not want potholes on our prominade we do not want rubbish on our prominade so by making these videos we get them fixed and we get the rubbish removed what more do you think needs to be done to improve jaywick itself holiday makers need to pick up their dog poo cuz that's disgusting when the holiday makers are not here you don't see any dog poo all over the place when they're down here they they just let it go and they do not pick off after it's disgusting oh cheers than shine on shine on everybody how are you I'm just trying to get the potholes fixed and doing Justice for jaywick I know they're terrible aren't they we got so I'm going to I'm going to highlight it and say come and fix them so save our bus service we're going to lose our bus service you know and people depend on that don't they so shine on and I love you all we are jaywick forever shine on yeah look at this car you can see it here in action I mean the pothole is like yeah they're making people reverse they just it's not safe yeah she had to drive on the right side of the road so you can see the problems these are giving us so we are going to get them fixed shine on and is is this open is this is this active this community center this opened about 10 years ago this is the jaywick resource center and this does a lot for jaywick okay people come here they do line dancing they get free Mills and it's a great Community Hotpot right so jick's on the up more great things for jaywick yeah but it's a shame you have this on the side as well that you know could be rejuvenated or basically some guy has brought all of these old places right and he's going to basically turn convert them into Flats really high Flats like 16 Flats okay so this is going to be good for jaywick so the future of this when it eventually gets done will be very good which is sad to look at it like this yeah I remember all of these open I remember going in there with my friends and that was a jic casino that was an amusements we had lots of good times in there I'm so sad it's gone now he's sold destroying would you say most of the money has moved down to claton and like jaywick has kind of been forgotten in a way Clapton's is losing things like jaywick is as well really yeah it's the same everywhere it's just basically because they got rid of Butlins there's no when butling was open this was all flow flowing but once you got rid of butling there's no need for it so it's that was the biggest Catalyst for us the biggest problem we had was buts going maybe you just need something new a new kind of attraction to come to yeah we do dny Slug it I'm a great attraction yeah get the D Danny tours you can still see the change box look where you used to get change wow you still see machines in there as well look see some machines sad what's happened to him but don't look at us for what this is today look at us for what this once was and what it's going to be soon soon this will be a multi 16 Flats brand new flats for the community Jock's on the up we love you jock whatever you are the people sleep in there it's not mattress no no people just dump things in here cuz not a lot of people have got cars in jaywick so when people see a bit of land abandon they normally put more rubbish on it right just like their mattresses there but you know it's not it's not a big problem it's just a few people do it it's only a small majority majority of people that fly TI yeah yeah but why didn't the local Council come and like they do clean up but as soon as they do take it away more comes back right the council do a lot for us andless cycle yes but we want more investment we want more opportunities and they are happening we are getting more opportunities we are getting more investment and if we keep plugging away then we will give Justice to jaywick but they've got a MCE Miner and they've got me that's all you need it's all you need it's just OD because we pay the same P Tex as they do the other side of the golf course right they get Road sweepers they get proper bins we don't get no Road sweepers we don't get proper bins I mean there there is some deric houses but just a general like few matches on the side of the road all it would take as a council to come and bring a bin man over and like you know tidy the place up a bit it's so easy to fix and they don't fix it it's as if they don't care they without being a even the problem peoples they've got problems but they just Chuck them all down here but as I said before if it was like that we wouldn't have this place whether they're druggies whe they're alies whe they're old whe they're young they will all talk to you yeah and it's just a nice atmosphere it's lovely everyone's got gets like the wrong end of the stick with jaywick CU it's got that jaywick vibe to it I love it I tell you what we've been down here four times in the last two years and I tell you it's brilliant people are polite but what m they making out the places it's run down all wouldn't mind if the government put some money into the area would be lovely but sadly you seen parts of around here empty basically ripped apart it ain't just because the people live here is the government haven't put anything into the area for years and years and years exactly it's quite sad really cuz all the people I've met are lovely people yeah you know I think that's what it's about sometimes the government actually putting money in rather than kind of disregard than the people that actually live there and given them a bad name 100% I come from H and that's been run down for the last five 5 10 years and brand here I see the difference from H and here I'll be honest I rather live here that's the truth and I've been living in har life for 25 years so easy to have a go yeah Parliament yeah but you guys have farage as your MP he's probably one of the most famous person in politics in the UK shouldn't he do something about the area well got give got to give a bit of time is it but it's it's just it's like just the well 100 yards away we've just had the biggest fire we've ever known and it's still lot a bomb site and there's aspas and sort and everything blowing over us no one gives the monkeys because it's jaywick that's it don't get cleaned it don't get tided up and it's just fre if you want it yeah so jaywick itself has a population of around 5,000 people and just about over 60% are employed but this is one of the the poor areas but I guess when you live also by the Sea it's a nice place to live but obviously the living standards aren't as good in this particular Street see people leave things outside and Danny was telling me not everyone has a car so that's the only option is to fly tip in this area yeah you can see how the houses are a bit different on this street all right mate how are you brother I need to get to church I will try Sunday okay thank you brother love you lovely fell are you religious yeah yeah I'm not like I'm not like a certain religion I'm just Church of England but I believe in God and he and throughout my years of going to prison and the car crashes I've had and my mom dying and stuff God's been there for me you know yeah God's definitely when I was in prison on them eight occasions I was believing in God to get me through it and he certainly did you know yeah I heard the employment rate around here is just above 60% is it also about providing jobs for the people people too it would be but there's no big businesses or shops here so it's hard to have jobs here you know what would you say most people do around here for work self-employed the majority of people that live here are plumbers Builders roofers work in the building trade so that to me that's the biggest majority you know right but when you look at the media and what they say about jaywick it's really easy to point the finger and say they're lazy and they all claim benefits how does that make you feel that's not true there's not people claim benefits if they're old or they're not well but the majority of people that are my age they're all working you know but this is a place where people are getting benefits one of the highest I think within the UK do you think there needs to be more social hous in the area what do you think needs to be done for opportunities for the locals well I think it's just giving people the the benefit of the doubt and and you know most of us are hardworking people down here and and we do just want to live a quiet life but unfortunately the housing's not here but um hopefully they'll be building some more soon so yeah I mean how does it make you feel when people say it's really deprived area it's one of the poorest in England those kind of statements it's sad it's sad it's not nice um but obviously I mean you know what it's like people tie you with the same brush don't they but I mean we we all stick together down here if there's any problems you we know that you've got backup you got people looking after you things like that so but we deprived but we get by and we've got a beautiful beach and a beautiful beautiful area that people can enjoy with their kids and everything like that so well that's the thing when you look at the media they might only only talk to one or two people but go around with Danny you see the whole town exactly when you go around with me you can see that we work that we love it here that we're making the most of it that we enjoy it we love it the only thing Jo needs is more jobs so there's lots of land you know where that Sunspot is yeah there's lots of land behind it I I propose that businesses buy that land build warehouses on there build supermarkets build shops and that would give Joey much needed jobs you know yeah my car feels like it's falling apart 72 years old so I love it it's proper old school it's it's class isn't it Shine On The moris Miner shine on we just leave that there come with me my friends let's go how are you all right this is one of my favorite pubs kich is the owner he's doing great puts live bands on he he serves the community and it takes someone like keich he does lovely Indian food as well Delicacies didn't you course I saw him everything he knows didn't I Kush he sure did yep behind every great man is a great woman Ed it we love you politicians also should come to this area y some of the politicians they are thinking only clacton if J is not there they don't be getting votes as well there is like almost like 5 to 10% of votes are there in J in in Clon area if you see the politician they are not coming here they sticking to Clon only which is not good that is if they come definitely it will develop I know that they will speak lots of things that we can develop this area that area but uh coming to the point they are not giving I mean they are not releasing the funds here if they release the funds properly definitely it will what was I like as a kids he know be I was a little bastard weren't I Tony basically we used to go to the cashier and say Tony the machines took our money then he used to go to it give us the money but then we used to pull a tissue out the bottom of the machine and the money used to come back we used to give you lots of Tricks didn't we and you every trick you did this man deserves a medal for putting up with me when I was 11 he put up with me and my friends for 5 years we to organ yeah bit of food don't hurt you what a nice man the Broadway thank you ke we love you they say if within dep deprived areas kind of brings crime would you agree with that especially living in jaywick uh to some degree I feel like in all areas there's always going to be crime but it kind of I think it's more publicized when it's in a more poor Community yeah they kind of drive that stigma yeah but I haven't really been around anything like that so I'm pretty happy with what I've seen living in Benjamin delboy we love you Dale how are you you are Benjamin but you are getting younger you are getting younger aren't you nice to see you D you finish work for the day you are a legend I'm at work [Laughter] now D God bless you keep up the hard work you know that another hard worker from jaywick another man that lives in JT and works very hard sorry mate sorry sorry I always stop for people if I if someone wants to cross the road I'll will stop help them yeah I've always been like that you know I've always got tired for people you know I feel like the people we met today so far they are very old school and you know have a lot of respects and manners in this area there's a lot of respect jaywick is all about respect you won't live here without respect respect is what you need to live in jaywick people like the way you treat others people like what you're doing you know and if you haven't got respect for others how can people have respect for you you know respect goes both ways doesn't it yeah and Jay we I I find places that are poorer places that don't have as much money as other places respect Works more than ever definitely I feel like there is a sense of community but like what what is poor to you what would you say what what is the definition of rich and poor poor is basically not having enough money to feed your kids and rich is being able to go on holiday whenever you want yeah that's kind of rich or poor to me I know people that eat dog food cuz they're so hungry I've seen I've known people in the past that eat dog food I know people that are so poor they have to choose between Heating and eating I know people that have to wire up their meter because they can't afford to pay for electric yeah you put your hand out the window for indicator thank you I don't film people that are eating dog food for their dinner I don't film people but I get people message me privately on Facebook they messag me and go Danny I'm a woman with kids we are starving we don't get paid until next week can you help me and I always try and lend them 20 quids give them 20 quids he indicate left for me please and uh basically I don't publicly answer these messages I don't put it all over my page someone's asking me for food yeah I I just privately address that but at the end of the day I'm not f funded by anybody I'm not a government group I'm not a charity I'm Danny Slug it and I do all that I can in my own time for the community but I don't have a lot of money you know I work I'm a plumber I'm a builder and I only have so much money you know and I can't keep spending all my money on on everybody else because I have my own family to support you know I think every place needs a Danny in their area someone who's looking out for the community damn right and I would make sure that we get Justice I want Justice for every person in jaywick every person in jaywick might not like me I might not like every person either but I want Justice for them you know yeah and I want respect and that's to me makes the world go around you know and now got 380 381 people gnomes people donate them by the plastic bag FS right where did the where did the gome collecting start um January what why is that just like a hobby or uh no it's just that my I got so many grandchildren which you'll be able to see in here let's have a look put a light on W you've got a collection of photos I have got grandchildren it's unbelievable wow how many in total I've lost C I've lost count I think it's about 30 34 wow and you've lived in J jck M your life or no no no I for the last uh 15 years I lost me wife here which is this lady here my favorite one favorite one and she died with Co Vic she was asmatic so but she just lost it poor cat sorry to hear that so I'm stay put and I've got my family around me you've seen JWT change throughout the years this past 15 years would you say for the good let's look at it this way I was here in the Caravan Center when we had the floods with my family mom dad and 13 kids and dad said right don't I'll step out there and wash your feet in the right back in 1953 on the 31st of January there was a big flood in jck where 35 people lost their lives right and if you Google it you can see about the big floods of that time and 35 people died in jock so this is in honor of them as well and if you look in memory of the 35 Souls Lost in jaywick on the night of 31st of January 1953 by the East Coast floods wow but yes been on and off up here I love it up here I mean jick has his reputation being one of the poorest areas in England how does that make you feel as a local I'm not worried I love it you know I'm not a rich person like some SM like just a minute ago a little baby come up and started crying I said what's matter she said them I picked a little one picked one that gnomes up she' gone off down and v as happy as the sand boy that's my life love it and by the Sea it seems quite peaceful but what more do you think could be done inj wi to improve the area I don't think you will be able to there's too many of good Sals and bad salts here happens everywhere you go though yes it does yeah yeah I mean just lately it's getting even worse than but because of the big fire we had down there that that was tremendous the smoke we couldn't everyone was choked on it up here like you know but it's something that happens and we put up with it and that's life and jaywick I'm afraid and I love every minute of it I've got good people up here that I mean I used to do a boot s outside made a bomb at it love it then when the wife died I had to stop doing it and uh I'm I managed to keep a few Bob in me pocket but that's it what a beautiful garden a Wesley and it goes all the way around there there's all little statues around there and this is our J Memorial Garden you got apples mate we got everything with a cost to Del jaywick shine on so that's it yeah and how do you feel about like it's bit controversial at the minute about flying the flag in your local town like people say all sorts of stuff well I don't care what they say at the end of the day we are jaywick and we are are part of Britain and this is our country so I'm sure we have the right to fly our flag there's nothing wrong with that I don't think if you go to say France they fly the French flag if you go to Germany they fly the Germany flag so why can't we fly the Union Jack in the UK especially in jaywick represent come on represent love your country but the trouble is I love all countries look we got airplanes [Music] look at these airplanes where's he gone all right it's gone we'll get we we're going we're going and get it we'll find it it depends which way you look at at deprived as in I see the community myself do you know what I mean I see the people I see what we do for each other and but but it's it's the council that lets us down we've like we talking about the pot and that but it's not this a m this is the only place I've loved and felt comfortable and I've lived for here at Scotland because of the people it's because of the people well said Lisa so what what more could be done with with the local MPS and your local Council what more would you want to see well repairs to the area do you know what I mean I mean it is for the kids to keep them trap all um R what we need what we should be getting is it safe kids they just need more to he's quite listen I can walk about in jck any we walk around all day all night never been up yeah never never up I know I won't get hurt it's not like I say it's not what it's made out to be and you know what I can't believe I've ended up next daugh of this guy I can't believe it you were like the first guy I met didn't you I know we were meant to be we was meant to be neighbors how long have you lived in J with yourself many years many years about 30 years now right have you known this man here for over 30 years yeah it's all his fault he used to changed my baby's nabies I got him his first job Once Upon a Time yeah yeah Victor got me a job at Edward Brothers he's a true friends what was he like what was he like back in the day he's a good man and he's a better man now I've learned to be good of it yeah I was I was a bit of a naughty man but I'm a good man too now he's got a good heart just cuz we're naughty on the surfice doesn't we do love and work for our neighbors I love people got a bad word to say about jaywick but jck jick's what you make it jick's amazing Jo is amazing beautiful I walk my dog over there some nights and it's beautiful LS are flying through that could be anywhere in the world that is heaven it's country it's country me there is nothing deprived about this view is there horses Meadows foxes animals Wildlife the only person that ain't there is David atra and David atra should be there K's hovering over there look but jck itself has quite a bad reputation being deprived how does that make you feel as a local it disgusts me here cuz I I lived here all my life for 30 years and it's a lovely place to live it's just what people from the outside see look upon inside you know they don't know the real inside right and they don't really see the community Spirit or the community itself what what kind of community is there in jwi solid a very very good one solid Community yep I feel this is the kind of place where everyone knows everyone like say everyone but we know no one we know everybody we're all good people people that ain't worth knowing we don't know them if you say hello in the morning they may say hello back if they don't say hello back we say you Jo person Jo is interview over yeah good still got work to do thank you Vic I love you very wellers thanks it's a lovely all all our interviews end on Fu you can see our beautiful neighborhood here our beautiful people people we got beautiful neighbors Beau I don't really know my neighbors to fa yeah you can just say hello no one really shy to talk it's beautiful it's beautiful how we're all so connected for so long we've got each other's back you know I mean people live this like busy City life but it's a bit more relaxed but at least everyone's friendly and as a maybe Chris give us an interview I don't know know he's he's not there his car's not there and this is my house I like fish on my Pisces March the fourth so a man with hobbies and interest is a happy man please show everybody the jaywick fish so cuz I live in jaywick we don't have loads of nightclubs we don't have loads of shops we don't have loads of places to go like infrastructure so we have to create that for ourselves yeah so I find people that live in deprived places so So-Cal deprived places are the opposite in themselves with their Hobbies with their interests with what they do yeah a lot of people think they have to leave their town to make something of it but you've stayed here most your life you're saying basically when I was young I moved in when I was 11 and when I was young basically there was no jobs I wanted to work and I to go to ca for work but by the time I got up at 6:00 a.m. rode my push bik to the train station then got a train to cist then worked all day then did all of that to come home I was only earning 250 a day I was only earning 3030 a week on a government training scheme I did that for about six months but financially I couldn't do it anymore and there were better opportunities in stealing things and driving illegally and committing crime in jwi one of the best jobs was crime so I did that and I did it until I was 21 and then thought hang on a minute my dad come and saw me in prison said Danny stop wasting your life so I then went and work for my dad building houses becoming a builder which I always was and thank God thank goodness I had my dad to get me out of that hole that I was in and I haven't been in trouble with the police now for well over 25 years but I see people today that were like me in jaywick and they're young and there's no options there's no jobs for them so I want to help them get into work because work is better than crime but obviously when you're young and there's no opportunities the instant money is in crime so people want that now but this is not the way forward so we must help each other to prevent people going on this path and people that are on that path it doesn't mean they're bad people it just means they're bad that that they've had bad luck and we should help them the stronger people and help everybody sort themselves out and that is what JT Can Teach the World We Can Teach the World to not look down on people only when you're helping them up if J is deprived what they all say is how come we can look after each other and do things for each other and how come places are richer and they're better off how come they keep being horrible towards each other and how come they're not helping each other so maybe jaywick and the world can work together I do believe there's a jaywick in everyone so going around with Danny have come to realize that there are good and bad parts of jaywick the locals themselves actually prefer this place has a bad name as it puts tourists off from actually coming here and doing this video has made me realize that you should go to places yourself and check them out as they're not all what they seem and I hope I've shown you guys that this place actually is pretty nice it's not the worst place in England as most people call it but yeah this was Jay this was jaywick on the coast of England I'll see you for the next one so ladies and gentlemen if you haven't checked out Wesley winter you haven't lived the man is a legend