As a Christmas present we’ve uploaded the rare Monster Network video ‘Essex Tour 2001 (It Came From the South)’! Back in the summer of 2001, thanks to LBD’s planning, friends and OG Monsters came together for a 4 day tour around Essex and a little bit of Suffolk. It was weather stricken and boozy but it was also one of the best times bringing a large group of friends back together to skate, drink and goof off. Raise a drink this Christmas to skateboarding and friendship and to the English summer!

See you all in the new year!

Edited by Russell Cowling and Barry Ewers

Over the years alot of spots have come and subsequently gone and one particular example is the planter banks at the Gemini Centre in Chelmsford. Originally skated first back in around 1986ish (back then also known as ‘The Spot’ and ‘The Bricks’) the spot got heavily skated in the early to mid 90s before being lost a few years later to the office’s car parking requirements. The straight banks are still there and are still super fun but…just imagine skating the planter banks now! Spot R.I.P. for sure.

This rough footage was filmed on a summer evening in 1995 and features Monster Network OGs, Matt Letch, James Rands, Pete Harrison and Kevin Peacock. Filmed by Paul Gonella.

Continuing in the act of selling souls, this part from Dave’s video from 1998 is of Mark Harman and Sandy, timeless style.

p.s. this is the 100th blog post (since updating the site for ‘Into the Fall’)! get ready for a new, updated website coming in the new year with a mountain of both new and OG video clips and photos plus other suprises…

A grizzly old man of the sea in general, it is only today that David Dixon has the age to go with it. Dave is now an official member of the 30+ club which means you are allowed to complain about back ache at least 3 times a day, wear tartan slippers, take afternoon naps and pull the “you kids, you don’t know you’re born, i remember when this was all fields and we had to quarry our own curbs and make ramps out of whale bones and mahogany” card at will. Happy Birthday David!

Not that proof is needed but Dave has always been a little handy on the wizzplankaroo. Check this part from ‘Sell Your Soul’ (his own video production) from 1998, so fresh faced! (Daryl has some footage in there too, killing it).

Probably the best spot Essex has ever had, the old toy factory in Eastwood, Southend. We used to make the trip down from Chelmsford quite a bit back then, this trip in the winter of 1995 was one of many. A couple of tricks from this day made it in to Network Neighbourhood released the following September and it was during the footage search for the We Are boxset that all this other footage from the day was discovered…

Filming:

Russell Cowling

Editing:

Paul Gonella

Skating:

Kevin Peacock
Paul Gonella
Adam Leeds
Lloyd Cowling
Bert

Music:

‘You Be Sweet’
Levy

P.S.:

- Check the EMB style bro BGPs
- Gonz is wearing DCs from one of their first run of shoes
- Kev kicks his foot out…

Filmed on a wet, cold winter’s night in late 2002 at Lakeside at the legendary pink zone level 3, the pink 3. Nothing beats a super smooth surface and a waxed curb/manual pad and some friends making the most of one of the few decent dry spots in Essex. That night the carpark was closed and we got kicked out of the one opposite by a security guard. We asked him if they could turn on the lights in Pink 3 for us to skate and as a complete suprise he said yes they would turn on a couple of strips of lighting. Probably the best security guard ever.

Skating by Dan Jacka, Russ Cowling and Paul Gonella. Filmed and Edited by Paul Gonella. Music is ‘The American Adventure’ by The Electric Soft Parade.

Dave and Gonz recently brought out the now outmoded and outdated Hi-8 video cameras and tapes to try and capture all of Dave’s footage he shot between 2001 and 2003 in Colchester. There’s loads of classic Colchester spots in there and loads of Colchester faces (including a very young Verski). Gonz editied it up with ‘We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers’ by Chin Up Chin Up…have fun watching it…not long now until ‘Into the Fall’…