PP -- while it's true Southend (now with ILS back serviceable, I believe) is ten minutes away, you usually end up doing something on the way back, so it's not time wasted per se. And once you're in the aircraft you're almost always doing some airways/route flying on the way out, so you're not wasting time there... I think, to be honest, the time you spend transiting back is offset by not waiting at the hold/circling in the overhead while you wait for other movements to get out of the way. Horses for courses, as you say.