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Ekco works in Southend in 2002

Here we see a view of the Ekco works in 2002. The site was used as a processing facility for Mastercard credit cards after Ekco departed, and when these photos were taken was still used by the banking industry. Shown upper middle is a closer view. When the rather impressive frontage was built it did not have the "third storey" of slate covered material. The third storey is a later addition which rather detracts from what was an impressive entrance. Picture top right shows that not quite every trace of Ekco has gone from the works though. Directly next to the Ekco works was the Ekco sports ground. That still exists and signs can still be seen in a couple of places.

Below: The sign was originally painted with yellow wording on a green background. The green paint has almost entirely flaked off though, leaving the weathered grey bare wood behind it. As the Ekco works was expanded in size additional buildings were constructed on the site. One of these additions can be seen behind the sign pictured below, and the white facing with curved corners is very typical of 1930's Art Deco Modernist design. Wells Coates designed the drawing offices at the plant, so who knows, perhaps this emerged from one of his ideas too.

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