Crowds return to Llandudno Pier, but owner raises concerns about social distancing
The owner of Llandudno pier says some visitors to the attraction didn’t appear to follow coronavirus rules “at all” as large crowds flocked to the town. Adam Williams said he had tried his “very best” and spent thousands of pounds to introduce safety measures at the pier, but that it was also up to visitors to show common sense.
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Silent Sunday sessions at Hastings Pier
Jolie Smith explained: “This is for all the special needs children who may struggle with the lights and sounds due to sensory issues. “We understand that crowds, lights and sounds can be very traumatic for some children, so we are dedicating Sunday mornings from 10am – 12pm, solely for children with special needs.
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The campaign to make Brighton Palace Pier Of The Year 2021 starts here!
Anne Ackord, chief executive of the Brighton Pier Group, said: “We do hope to be number one next year. The National Piers Society does a lot of work to help keep the future of piers in the public eye and has provided a lot of piers with much-needed support so we wish them well with their work.”
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Eastbourne Pier stars in new film
Eastbourne Pier turned film star for a three-hour shoot for the forthcoming movie Vindication Swim. The film’s director said “the pier is a fantastic period-looking pier. The film is set in Brighton, but the pier there is a bit too modern. We wanted something set in the early 1900s, and Eastbourne Pier looked perfect for that.”
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Harwich Ha’Penny Pier saved from fire by quick-thinking locals
The historic pier was saved from possible destruction following the quick actions of youngsters. Part of Ha’Penny Pier, in View Point Road, Harwich, caught fire. After spotting the flames, some young locals called Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and attempted to put out the fire with buckets of water while waiting for a fire engine to arrive at the scene.
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National Piers Society has worked with Away Resorts to feature the best of British Seaside Piers: Past, present and future!
When you think of seaside piers, you’re probably filled with wholesome memories of fish and chips, sugar dummies, slot machines, and funfairs that you’ll treasure for life. Taking a trip through time, Away Resorts teamed with Dr. Anya Chapman from the National Piers Society to showcase the past, present, and the potential future of the UK’s most talked about piers.
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Restoration of Hythe Pier train begins!
Volunteers have embarked on a £222,000 project to restore a historic train that has been operating on a Hampshire pier for almost 100 years. Hythe Pier Heritage Association has launched the ambitious scheme by starting to refurbish one of the wooden carriages that has been trundling along the jetty since 1922.
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Maintenance work at Beaumaris Pier due for completion in September
The County Council secured the pier’s long term future in 2012 after investing £5.6m to significantly revamp the structure as part of the Anglesey Coastal Environment Project. However, continuous exposure to saltwater has led to significant rusting and a deterioration of paintwork on the pier’s railing and approaches – exposing extensive sections of underlying metalwork.
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160th anniversary of Southport Pier marked with this detailed look-back at the pier’s history
With talk of constructing the country’s first pleasure pier going back over a decade beforehand, building work finally started in August 1859. It was opened on August 2, 1860, with a grand procession and holds the record as the oldest iron pier in the country. Waiting rooms for boat passengers were added during the pier’s first few years of operation, and a cable-operated tramway was installed in 1865.
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New owners at Lowestoft Claremont set out their vision for the Pier
The Pier’s new owners will be hoping to attract some grant funding or lottery financial support to allow them to open the structure up to the public so they can walk along, and potentially run a ferry service in the future. With the Claremont Pier being a member of the National Piers Society, Charmaine Llewellyn said: “We are in talks with the society and they have said they will try and help us”.
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A round-up of our most ‘iconic’ piers
N0 day trip to the coast is complete without a traditional stroll down the pier. And despite many being built in Victorian times, they still offer plenty of modern family fun. So why not go out and tread the boards this summer? We help you find the perfect seaside escapism with a rundown of our most iconic examples.
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Variety show returns to Cromer Pier for summer season
The world’s only end-of-pier variety show is set to leap back to life following months of lockdown closure. Cromer Pier’s usual summer show – also known as the Seaside Special – had to be cancelled this year due to the coronavirus restrictions. But the team are returning with a similar show called ‘Strictly Variety’ to run every Thursday to Sunday from August 23 until the end of September.
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Pier ferry service moves from Southend to Bournemouth
If you have been waiting to take the ferry from Sheppey to Southend you have missed the boat. Dave Wilcock, the owner of Island Cruises, scuppered further trips after upping anchor and sailing his 145-seater boat 150 miles to Poole. He said: “To ensure our survival we have decided to join forces with an established company in Poole for the time being to run a service off Bournemouth Pier.”
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Restoration work at Mumbles Pier set to resume
It is the second of three phases and is scheduled to be completed before the new 2021 season starts. Owners Bert and Fred Bollom have revealed they hope the revamp will be an opportunity to re-introduce period features such as the ornate kiosks and shelters that once graced the pier deck, subject to backing from Swansea Council’s planning department. It is anticipated that a conversion scheme to transform the iconic former lifeboat house into a restaurant and visitor centre could also begin.
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PS Waverley resumes sailings in ‘home waters’
The paddle steamer Waverley’s operators have announced that the famous ship will return to service on the Clyde this weekend – for her first cruises since October 2018. The vessel, built in Glasgow in 1947, will undertake a short programme of cruises on ‘home waters’ between August 21 and September 5. Her schedule – published online by Waverley Excursions Ltd – includes one call per week at Kilcreggan pier, leaving at 12 noon on August 21, August 28 and September 4 for a sail direct to Rothesay.
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Could Brighton’s Volk’s Railway be extended?
Volk’s Electric Railway currently has three stations – Black Rock, Halfway and Aquarium Station. With Brighton and Hove City Council committees currently looking at major public works to increase seafront public space at the derelict Black Rock site and next to the pier at the Aquarium Roundabout, there is an opportunity to build in plans to extend the railway in both directions, adding two new stations at the Marina and the i360.
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Clacton Pier’s new log flume all set to make a splash!
Clacton Pier’s long-awaited new White Water Log Flume is finally set to open this weekend. The iconic seaside attraction, built in 1871, had hoped to unveil the splashing new ride at Easter this year, before the coronavirus crisis got in the way.
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Birnbeck Pier owners submit application for pier repairs
As part of its application, CNM Estates, which has owned the pier since 2014, said its proposal was in response to the repairs notice issued by North Somerset Council. It said the planned works would ensure appropriate surveys and inspections are undertaken and arrange for all trestle bracing to be removed for repair or reconstruction. In February, the council approved the CPO, a process which could take up to 18 months to complete.
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Solent Wheel to have its last spin at Southsea Clarence Pier
On Sunday, September 27, the Solent Wheel will perform its last revolution before moving to a new – and as yet undisclosed – home. Since its installation in 2016 the wheel has carried tens of thousands of local residents and tourists to heights 35 metres above the promenade to enjoy views of Portsmouth and Southsea and out across the harbour and Solent.
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New book celebrates the architecture of British seaside piers
Remarkable visual spectacles, piers are architecturally extraordinary in concept and at times outrageous in execution. They brought together the Victorian genius for technological and material innovation, architectural ambition and engineering ingenuity in the search for new designs for leisure (as well as profit) over the sea. This superbly illustrated book explores the history of the design processes leading to the architectural and engineering innovations that have allowed people to walk on water in such diverse and delightful ways.
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An ode to Llandudno and its pier!
A stroll along Llandudno Pier, built during the town’s fashionable heyday to extend gracefully into the Irish Sea, revealed plenty of social-distancing signage but less compliance among the stalls selling Welsh-flag face masks. But I had a moment of sepia-tinged nostalgia when we found the push-penny slots still chiming out in the Deck Arcade at the end of the pier.
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Eastbourne Pier remains closed
Owner Abid Gulzar told The Herald it is ‘too early’ to reopen the landmark, despite the easing of lockdown measures. While it is closed, four new commercial units are being built on the site. A spokesperson for Eastbourne Pier said, “In the absence of clear and firm guidance from central or local government, we feel it is in the best interests to keep the pier closed for the time being.
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PS Waverley launches emergency fundraising appeal
The operators of the paddle steamer Waverley have launched a new emergency appeal for donations to make sure the famous ship is back in service in 2021. The Waverley missed her first call of the year at Kilcreggan last Friday after mechanical and administrative issues saw her first sailing of 2020 cancelled. But the ship’s 2020 timetable only runs until Friday, September 6 – and Waverley Excursions Ltd says that means more money will be needed to see her through to next year.
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A round-up of some of the best British seaside piers to visit
From the caw of the wheeling gulls and the spinning pink drums of candy floss to the waft of fish and chips and the rattle of coins in the penny falls, these Victorian wonders are as British as it comes. Often built to accommodate ferry or steam passengers, now they’re a national treasure and still very much a national pleasure. Take a deep breath of that beautiful clean air and join the jetty set on our pick of the peerless piers…
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Joe Longthorne MBE Museum opens at Blackpool North Pier
Inside the former theatre tearoom turned exhibition space now homes some of Joe’s treasured memorabilia from his illustrious showbiz career, his MBE honour to his gold disks, stage suits and his much loved piano, once owned and played by American superstar singer, writer and producer Stevie Wonder. Adorning the walls tributes, messages and anecdotes of fellow entertainers, sportstars and pals from across the world, Engelbert Humperdinck, Bob Hope to Geoff Hurst – Jimmy Tarbuck and Bruce Forsyth.
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