Who are the real Essex wives?

Catherine Pearce set out to see if Essex women are like those depicted on television's Essex Wives. What she found was down-to-earth, hard-working women who would describe themselves as anything but pampered.

THE final episode of Essex Wives was aired weeks ago, but Chigwell is still buzzing with gossip.

The much talked about first episode depicted Essex women as yet another stereotype the ladies that lunch and spend the majority of their time having beauty treatments, spending ridiculous amounts of money on clothes and enjoying summer in Marbella. Is that really how Essex wives behave?

Catherine Pearce set out into the community to see what Essex women had to say about their lives. What she found was down-to-earth, hard-working women who would describe themselves as anything but pampered.

Karen Drew, 36, owns and runs a beauty salon in Loughton. She also lives in Loughton with her husband and children, Dominique (Mimi), 4, and Eva, 14 weeks.

Karen says: "I have lived in Essex for 15 years and had the salon for the last 10, although most people don't know the salon is mine as I like to keep things low key."

When I opened the salon I had just one member of staff. Now there are seven full-time therapists, two receptionists as well as various part-time staff."

Karen is obviously proud of her achievements, but she does not feel any need to flaunt her success.

Nor does she feel a need to keep up false appearances.

"I take Mimi to nursery in my therapist's uniform if I'm working; otherwise I tend to dress fairly casually," she said.

"It doesn't bother me if I go out in old jeans with no make-up on as that's the real me. I don't buy designer clothes I can't justify the expense. Perhaps if I had that much disposable income I would feel differently, I'm not sure."

Karen looks a little guilty as she admits to her one indulgence.

"My one extravagance is that I have my hair blow dried once a week as I have always found it difficult to do myself. Otherwise, I probably have a facial once a month and my toe nails painted, time permitting," she said.

When I ask Karen what sort of clientele she has she laughs and replies: "I would say that only 10% of my clients are like the ladies in the show. I have quite young clients as well as clients who are terminally ill, pensioners, people with hair and skin problems as well as the average harassed working mother giving herself a treat."

So the salon isn't full of ladies that lunch.

As for whether Essex wives enjoy luxurious vacations, Karen says: "Although the business is quieter in the summer owing to general holidays as well as those with holiday homes, I certainly wouldn't say that they all go to Marbella. I've actually never been there myself. We don't manage to get away very often."

Katherine Fuller (not her real name), 41, lives in Chigwell with her husband, a black cab driver, and her two daughters. She works part-time in a London brokers and runs her own catering business at weekends.

Responding to whether the Essex Wives television show adequately represented the normal Essex woman, Katherine says: "I've lived in Essex for most of my life and I think the women portrayed in the series are definitely in the minority. I have a job share in the City, which means that I work two days one week and three days the following week. I always work on Saturdays with my catering business and often have extra functions to do during the week. I don't have any help at home so I am always very busy."

Katherine explains that her children always come first.

"Our first priority is obviously the girls, so a lot of our spare cash goes on them," she said.

"As they grew up they decided that they wanted designer clothes all the time. I decided to give them a clothing allowance to teach them the value of money. They soon changed their ideas and are great at bargain hunting. If they want a very expensive item they know they have to save for it."

The family's indulgence, according to Katherine, is vacationing.

"Virtually all the rest of our money is spent on holidays. We both work hard so we play hard as well, and that means getting away totally."

Unlike as the television show implied, young girls in Essex are not necessarily raised to aspire to high-end pampering, daily salon trips and endless shopping.

As Katherine looks ahead to her daughters' futures, she hopes they will enjoy fulfilling careers.

"I would describe myself as a hard working, confident, family-orientated person," she said.

"I think it's important for the girls to be happy, to have a good education, to be well travelled and above all to be polite and courteous. Both the girls work hard at school and are intelligent, ambitious young ladies."

The idea that Essex wives could really all be like those shown in the television series is ridiculous. Wealthy or not, Essex women come in all shapes and sizes, with a varying degree of available funds and tastes.

Many enjoy fulfilling careers and are depended upon to bring home half of the earned household income.

The television show gave Essex girls yet another unfair stereotype to live down and failed to represent the wonderfully different types of women in the county.

09:36 Thursday 20th February 2003

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