First section of Shotley Pier restoration completed!
The first 30 metres (98 feet) of the pier were completely renovated with temporary railings installed to allow people to use the pier. The pier, which is 158m in length, has a storied past, having been first constructed in 1894 and previously used to ferry mail, coal, munitions and sailors across the River Stour. The pier’s Board hoped that it would be able to open the completed section to the public soon but had had to defer a grand opening with ribbon cutting until Spring 2021.
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Papa’s serve up a festive whopper at Cleethorpes Pier!
Papa’s Fish and Chips, said it would introduce the two foot deep fried pig in blanket at its restaurants from December 4. It was advertised as the world’s largest battered pig in blanket, a festive twist on a battered sausage standing at over 60 centimetres.
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Worthing Pier lights up the sky tonight!
Laser Light City by Seb Lee-Delisle came to the pier between 6pm and 11pm for two days and saw locals take control of six powerful lasers being installed at the iconic listed landmark. When the spectacle went live, participants could visit the laserlight.city/worthing website – which had all the details of the event – and click a link to join a queue to control the lasers, which could be moved around by tapping and dragging on the screen.
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The sad tale of the demolition of Weymouth’s Bandstand Pier
The pier was blown up during a stunt on May 4, 1986, organised by Weymouth’s leisure director Harvey Bailey. He turned the demolition into a Bank Holiday weekend attraction that brought in crowds of sightseers and photographers. Two Birmingham schoolgirls – Carol Firth, 14, and sister Susan, 11 – pushed the button to trigger the big bang after winning a national competition. Following the destruction there were rumours aplenty of the building being spotted rising majestically out of the water – an eerie sight allegedly captured on film by a local snapper.
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Fancy visiting the North Pole at Clacton Pier?
Clacton Pier’s new North Pole experience got underway and proved a big hit with customers. A steady flow of families visited Santa’s grotto, the Reindeer’s stables, and Frosty the Snowman in a specially created and themed section of the landmark attraction. A host of animatronic characters and sparkling decorations throughout the indoor area created a magical festive feel for all ages to enjoy. A selection of outdoor rides was also operating for the first time during winter as part of a Christmas Cracker deal.
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Big wheel planned for Clacton Pier?
During the month it was announced that a smaller version of the London Eye could be coming to Clacton seafront if plans at the historic landmark came to fruition. The owners of the pier had begun talks to bring the new top class attraction dating back to 1871 to the site – with discussions taking place with a number of leading European manufacturers. An approach had also been made to Tendring District Council’s (TDC) planning department over securing the necessary permission needed for the 40-metre high structure.
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Will Weston’s Seaquarium finally get to be the resort’s third pier?
It was announced that Weston-super-Mare’s former Seaquarium was to be turned into a new restaurant and cafe – by the owners of the town’s Grand Pier. Kerry Michael, of AGM Holdings, had signed a deal with North Somerset Council to take over the seafront tourist attraction and pump nearly £1.5 million into refurbishing it. The Seaquarium closed in March 2019 after years of operating at a loss and has remained shut ever since.
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January 22nd deadline for sale of Weston Birnbeck Pier
The owners of a dilapidated Victorian pier were given until 22 January to find a buyer, a High Court Judge ruled. The decision relating to Birnbeck Pier in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, was made in a hearing over a loan dispute. If no buyer was found, it could be sold to the charity RNLI for £350,000.
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Ryde Pier vintage underground rolling stock to be transferred to heritage line
A preservation group was hoping to return a vintage tube train to the Epping Ongar Railway. Since 1967 a number of second hand London Underground tube trains had been used on the ‘Island Line’ on the Isle of Wight, from Ryde Pier Head, to Shanklin. These trains were now due to be retired in January 2021, and the London Transport Traction group said it had secured a 2-Car Class 483 train for preservation.
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