Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Lisa Bachelor

‘I say where I’m from and they tell me they’re sorry’: growing up in the most deprived place in England

A young woman with tattoos in a T-shirt and shorts stands on a sand dune
Millicent, a 22-year-old fine art graduate, says: ‘There’s not much here. But you saw me come out of my house – it’s right on the seafront. I just love that’ Photograph: Polly Braden/The Guardian

The village where 22-year-old Millicent has lived all her life is often her most closely guarded secret – at least until first impressions have been established. “It’s almost like a superpower,” she says. “I wait until people are comfortable with me, and then I’ll do the big reveal.”

It doesn’t matter where she goes, the story is always the same. “I’ll go to meet new friends and at some point I’ll tell them I’m from Jaywick,” says Millicent. “And it’s as if they go through the five stages of grief. They’ll say: ‘Oh, you’re not … oh, I’m so sorry’.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.