THIS Saturday sees a massive celebration of one of Southend's best loved boozers and music haunts, The Railway Hotel.

The fun kicks off around 4pm (although so many bands keep asking to be added to the bill, the time could be pushed back to much earlier in the day, so do check the Facebook page) and will continue through to the small hours, with a string of the area's finest musicians playing back to back.

We asked some of the Railway Hotel's regular photographers to provide a backdrop of some of the memories they have captured, across the last decade.

Thank you to Paul Hughes, Gary Franklin, Audie Philips, Niki Cornish and Veronica Nilsson for their contributions.

THE Railway Hotel has become so much more than a simple place to have a pint and a bite to eat since a couple of musicians - Dave and Fiona Dulake - first took it over and reopened its doors a decade ago.

Not only has this polestar of the Southend music and arts scene helped to further push the town's pin into the musical map of the world becoming a much favoured stop-off for national and internationally celebrated touring bands, it's bred a community, a family, an creative hive for bohemians, artists, actors, photographers, film-makers, writers and musicians who buzz all around this multi-floored ramshackle labyrinth, filling every nook and cranny around the clock with innovative shenanigans.

On any typical day, you might have Ship Full of Bombs radio crew jumping in action in a room towards the top of the building, meanwhile Fi and Dave are perhaps recording a band on their analogue equipment in the basement, a theatre company is in the main hall preparing for their up-and-coming production, a B movie is being lined up for a late night screening, while a visiting French garage band and DJs set up in the main bar. And at the centre of the scene, night and day, punters dance the night away forging friendships and new romances, while the staff weave in and out of the crowds serving up the Railway's delicious pizzas from the pizzeria or dishes from the award-winning vegan and vegetarian menu.

Of course, the main applause goes to the relentless hard work that Dave and Fiona, better known as Fi put into this place.

"I remember the day Dave told me he was going to buy a pub"said Fi, going on to describe how Dave had a dream to own a place where all the cool bands could have a place to play, to help put Southend on the map, to have a whole building where they could have as many pianos as they wanted.

"I think we have a total of seven pianos in the building with another little one coming soon!" she added.

"And wow, there have been some wicked bands that we've been lucky enough to have play at the pub.

"We're very proud to still be here. Over the years, there have been a few times where we've thought we're going to lose it, but then we've managed to scrape by.

"We really are thankful for the community involved, you know, it's not just us, it's the people, like the bands who come together here to play, and it's never about the money because there isn't much money in the music industry any more. It's about the people who come to us with ideas about events they want to put on, the dance groups, groups like Street Spirit (a voluntary group which helps the homeless) or Project 49 (a project which works to provide innovative services for adults with learning disabilities in the area) who grow food in our garden.

"The support we've had is unbelievable the community has helped make the Railway what it is today and we're so thankful for that. So it's a very happy 10 year birthday to all of us. For the Railway is yours, it's mine, it's Southend’s."