AS the saying goes, ‘from little acorns grow mighty oaks’.

This is indeed true of Southend which has flourished from a once tiny settlement made up of a few fisherman’s huts and farms, to a thriving Victorian seaside health resort and now, at last, a city.

The news that Southend is to become a city in the wake of the death of Sir David Amess MP, is bitter sweet.

On one hand it is a fitting tribute to a man who served Southend for so long and campaigned so vehemently for it to be awarded city status.

On the flip side, however, it is beyond tragic that Sir David will never see his dream finally realised.

There are currently 69 cities in the UK and Southend will become the 70th.

Eleven of these have received their city status since the year 2000, including Chelmsford which was officially made a city in 2012.

It’s been a long time coming but Southend has many of the attributes needed for city status - it’s own airport, a university, two major theatres, football club and let’s not forget the longest pleasure pier in the world.

One thing that is missing is a cathedral - once one of the criteria needed for city status, but that tradition changed long ago.

In 1889, Birmingham was the first town to become a city without a cathedral.

Although obtaining city status won’t result in any financial boost for Southend, it is hoped it will bring a certain prestige that in turn will lead to more business investment, as well as a priceless civic pride amongst residents.

Southend started out as a small village at the southern end of Prittlewell, hence the name “Southend”.

Over the decades it blossomed into a health resort where the wealthy would come to swim and recuperate from illness.

What really put Southend on the map, however, was a visit from Princess Caroline of Brunswick in 1804 which bolstered the town’s reputation amongst the elite.

One of the most important days in Southend’s history came in 1892 when a special charter from Queen Victoria gave the town the right to become a “municipal borough”.

This meant Southend was to have a mayor, aldermen, burgesses and its own town council.

A huge celebration was held on a gloriously fine day in September, 1892. The Lord Mayor of London travelled to Southend by train where he embarked on a procession around the town as crowds gathered in their thousands to wave and cheer.

In Prittlewell Square four giant Venetian masts with banners were erected. Pillars, columns, streamers and masts were put up all over the town. Strings of flags adorned the seafront parades, High Street and Alexandra Street while signs saying “prosperity to our new borough” and “may Southend flourish” were plastered everywhere, including outside the Garon’s bakery - one of Southend’s principal businesses at the time.

“The whole borough was in holiday dress and inhabitants of every degree and visitors gave themselves up to pleasure,” one reveller wrote of the day’s festivities.

The Lord Mayor and a whole host of VIPs enjoyed a lunch at the pier pavilion before the highlight of the day took place- the reading out aloud of the Municipal Borough charter by the Lord Mayor of London as he stood on a platform atop Pier Hill.

The first mayor, elected in 1892, was Thomas Dowsett who had risen from a poor field boy (a human scarecrow) to one of the richest men in Southend.

In 1913 Leigh Urban District was brought under the umbrella of Southend, which the following year was given the status of “county borough”. Again a day of festivities was held.

The move brought more independent powers for Southend.

Southend continued to grow and in 1998 it became a unitary authority.

Now Southend, with its population of 183,000 is to become a city. One thing is certain, another day of festivities to mark the city title must be held where, no doubt, Sir David will be greatly missed, but his memory greatly celebrated.