The West Pier fires have all the ingredients of a great story: a mystery, a picture-perfect setting, a mix of characters high and low. All the ingredients, that is, except the most important one: an ending. After seeing the Pier’s remains, Paul Caruana Galizia set out to find who profited from the fires. The first person to return his call was Brighton’s prime suspect. But the story became more about class and conflict, arson and evidence, and the different visions we have for the same places.

“The talk is an opportunity to show people the makings of the article and take them behind the scenes of the reporting – why it was difficult and why it still is difficult for those coming to the story for the first time,” says Paul. “It’s a chance to explain the problems I bumped into, why going into the case was so hard but fascinating and, I hope, to show why it still remains unsolved.”

Paul Caruana Galizia is from Malta and writes for Tortoise. He became a reporter after his mother Daphne was assassinated. Since then he has won some journalism awards and, with his two brothers, a Magnitsky Human Rights Award and an Anderson-Lucas-Norman Award for tax justice

Paul will be in conversation with West Pier Trust chairman Michael Farthing at the i360. There will be a Q&A opportunity following the talk.

The talk will be held at Brighton’s i360 on Thursday 16th June from 6pm to 8pm. For further information and to book tickets please click here.

World-class concerts against a backdrop of stunning seascapes. Distinguished musicians bring the international stage to Penarth. For further information on the festival programme and details of how to book, please click here.

The Friends of Bangor Pier and Bangor City Council are pleased to present an exhibition celebrating 125 years of our pier, with a focus on history and local stories. It will run from March 26th until 4th June at Storiel. Entry fee is free with a donation box at the door.

Click here for further details.

Third time lucky for the NPS AGM weekend at Southsea! Join us for a weekend of pier-related events and catch up with old friends and new ones in the stunning location of Southsea.

To start the weekend in entertaining style on Friday 10th June, Michael Gunton, Senior Archivist for Portsmouth Library and Archive Service will be talking about the development of Southsea as a seaside resort in the 19th and 20th centuries. The evening will culminate in the hotly-contested and thoroughly enjoyable NPS quiz.

On Saturday 11th June we begin the day with a guided tour of Southsea South Parade Pier, followed by our AGM which will be held at 3pm at the Queens Hotel. Be sure to arrive early to browse the bookstall and buy your raffle tickets. Please remember that only paid-up members are entitled to vote in the formal business of the AGM but all are welcome to attend. We will then be holding an AGM dinner at the Deep Blue Restaurant on Southsea South Parade Pier. We will be dining over the sea with glorious views across the Solent and we’ll round off the evening with live entertainment. Make sure you bring your dancing shoes!

On Sunday 12th June we have a full day of events, taking in some of Southsea’s and Portsmouth’s best attractions. On Sunday morning we will be exploring the D Day Story which provides a fascinating insight into how British troops crossed the English Channel into France.  Also, on Sunday the 12th of June we will be visiting the Spinnaker Tower which affords spectacular views of the Isle of Wight, the South Downs, and Portsmouth’s historic dockyard.

Full details and booking forms for the above events are issued with PIERS 143. Everyone is welcome to attend the weekend’s events, but please be sure to return completed booking forms by Wednesday 18th May.

We look forward to seeing you in Southsea!