We have gone back in our archives to look at Southend and Basildon in the 1970s and 1980s.

It was a time when the area had a very different flavour.

Southend has always had a large, busy and vibrant High Street.

The street scene may be familiar, but these pictures from the Echo archive show how times have changed.

Our images also look at the seafront across the town decades.

During the 70s and 80s we saw strikes and the rise of nightclubs.

Our images show bakery staff refusing to work after a controversial sacking.

There have been numerous protests over the years, with workers pleading for a pay rise and others going on strike as they show their support to others in the community.

Our newspaper was even hampered by a protest back in the 1970s.

A national strike in May 1973 resulted in the printers being out of bounds and the Echo was unable to produce a newspaper for its avid readers.

As a result, newspaper boys were left without work for the day.

South Essex also proved to be a hotbed for acid house raves in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The emergence of the acid house genre of music in the mid-to-late eighties gave birth to a whole new kind of party culture.

For a generation of clubbers, the late 1980s and early 1990s resulted in many weekends being spent meeting up in meadows, fields and rusty warehouses to party with like-minded people.

Our glorious county hosted a number of raves, including in Southend and Old Leighs.

Scroll through the images here.

Echo: Barton’s Bakery staff went on a 24-hour strike following a controversial sacking in 1983Barton’s Bakery staff went on a 24-hour strike following a controversial sacking in 1983

Echo: Taken in 1970s. The swimming pool is still under the casino, now owned by GentingTaken in 1970s. The swimming pool is still under the casino, now owned by Genting

Echo: Scamps, which has since been named Mansion Nightclub, in 1976Scamps, which has since been named Mansion Nightclub, in 1976

Echo: Essex Police on hand to shut down a rave in Southend in 1989Essex Police on hand to shut down a rave in Southend in 1989

Echo: the Basildon Carnival has proved to incredibly popular over the decades, with hordes of people heading to the event during the summer monthsthe Basildon Carnival has proved to incredibly popular over the decades, with hordes of people heading to the event during the summer months

Echo: New Year’s Eve party held at the Southend-based Zero Six proved to be a hit in 1986New Year’s Eve party held at the Southend-based Zero Six proved to be a hit in 1986 (Image: Newsquest)