You could find yourself dancing to the Leigh band, the Famous Potatoes.

Their music has been exported there by Benfleet man Steven Massam where the local dance club tries out steps first practised at our very own Southend Grand Ceilidh Club.

For Steve, who only visited the Falklands by chance, has become a long term resident there and has taken it on himself to import this particular aspect of Southend culture to enhance the social lives of the islanders.

Born in Ingatestone and educated in Chelmsford, Steve settled in Benfleet as a young man. He trained as an engineer and worked for a while as a butcher.

However, it was his hobby of taxidermy, developed from a boyhood passion for natural history, that became Steve's eventual career choice.

He set up as a self-employed taxidermist, working for Museums in London, Edinburgh and abroad as well as Southend Museum. A contract to work in the Falkland Islands came out of the blue and Steve was delighted with the opportunity.

"About four years ago I was invited over by the Falklands Museum and National Trust to teach taxidermy to the Islanders, so they could produce their own displays for the museum," Steve explained on one of his brief visits back to the UK. "I was on a six-week contract."

Little did he know that that six week trip was to change his life for ever.

On the Falklands, Steve found a small close-knit community of some 2,500 people. The wildlife was stunning - penguins, geese, and albatross, just three of the fabulous birds found on the islands, along with seals and plenty of sheep. It was not much comfort for a taxidermist, however, that much of the wildlife are protected species, and Steve's students found themselves practising on chickens.

While there, Steve took advantage of the opportunity for walking, climbing and camping in the spectacular landscape. However, with few leisure businesses on the island, entertainment was very much 'home-grown', islanders meeting to provide their own entertainment.

Dancing was popular with the locals, although the music was mostly recorded and the dances restricted to ballroom and the few Scottish-influenced folk dances the islanders had been practising for generations.

Joining the dance club, Steve was reminded of the Southend Grand Ceilidh Club, where his parents and sister had been members for many years.

As for other comparisons with Southend, the Falkland Islands have beautiful wide sandy beaches, although, Steve admits, Essex does have the better temperature. There is no crime on the Falklands, and while bananas can cost £1.20 each, you can get a whole leg of lamb for £2.50.

Having realised that six weeks was not long enough for the islanders to learn the art of taxidermy to exhibition standard, which takes years of experience and practice, Steve was offered a longer contract on the island.

During a break back in Southend, he took the opportunity to pop along to the Ceilidh Club, held at Southend Rugby Club on a Wednesday evening, to brush up on his dance steps and pick up some music by local bands.

"Some of the dances were the same as in the Falklands," Steve found. "While others had the same name but different steps and vice versa."

Back on the Falklands, armed with CDs from Southend bands, Steve was able to expand the repertoire of the local dance club and found himself promoted from new member to teacher.

The Islanders were introduced to Southend bands such as Rat on a Stick, the Blue Jays and Garlic Spread. The Famous Potatoes, well known at Leigh Regatta and Folk Festival, are even more famous now - 'as enjoyed in the Falkland Islands' their advertisements can now claim.

And, despite being slightly more than a day trip's journey away, the Falkland Islands will be dancing to the strains of "Let's take a day trip to Southend-on-Sea…" as sung by Slow Loris.

Obviously, even with additional contracts from the fisheries industry - making displays for their sales teams - there is a limit to the amount of taxidermy work needed in the South Atlantic.

However, Steve's involvement with the community and the museum led to another line of work, again arising out of a hobby of his.

While on the route of the South Atlantic Cruse, popular with wealthy Americans, the Falkland Islands produced few souvenirs of its own - in fact, anyone buying a Falklands Islands souvenir mug a few years ago may be disappointed to find that the item was in fact made in Scotland.

With the encouragement of the museum, Steve designed and has begun to produce models and ornaments featuring local wildlife, coasters and fridge magnets displaying the Falkland Island coat of arms and exquisite, unique jewellery made of local cow horn, stones, bones, shells and even sperm whale teeth.

When I was planning this interview, I imagined I would hear tales of hardship and homesickness, and how well the Southend area compared to the bleak South Atlantic, but quite the contrary. Steve's initial six-week contract was extended to ten weeks, then 12 months and recently for a further three years; his ambition is eventually to achieve permanent residence status on the Islands.

As for me, I'm just going to grab my dancing shoes - anyone know the time of the next flight to Port Stanley?