Cromer Pier has been famous for many years for its traditional summer and Christmas holiday season variety shows and concerts staged on he seaward pavilion.
The impressive ambience of the pier is maintained by the complete absence of any amusement machines or other modern artefacts.

A 210 foot jetty was built in 1822 but was washed away in 1843 to be replaced, two years later, with a 240 foot structure. This lasted until 1890 when it too was destroyed by heavy seas. The remains were sold at auction for £40.

A 500 foot iron pier, the inspired work of a London engineering firm, Douglass and Arnott, replaced the second jetty. It opened on 8 June 1901, having cost £17,000. A bandstand was erected at the head. This was extended in 1905 to form a pavilion.

Sectioned in 1940 for defence purposes, the gap was bridged with planks to allow the lifeboat station to be reached (lifeboats have been stationed here since 1923).

The pier was damaged by storms in 1949, 1953, 1976 and 1978. In 1985, a new tide gauge was fitted by Shell Expro to assist with their offshore survey operations in the North Sea.

In February 1990, gales destroyed the amusement arcade and, on the 14th of November 1993, a 100 ton rig crashed into the pier, isolating the theatre and lifeboat station. Repairs were made in time for the 1994 season.

Major reconstruction work has been carried out since 1993 by contractors Dossor East (first winners of the National Piers Society’s ‘Peter Mason Award’ for engineering excellence.

In 1997, the old lifeboat house and launching ramp were temporarily removed.

The pier pavilion was reopened by actor Stephen Fry on the 27th June 2004, but was damaged by a storm early in the following year.

In February 2012, it was announced that £8m of work was set to begin on revamping Cromer pier and the townвЂ™s Victorian sea defences.

In April a six-strong team began using abseiling rope techniques to carry out work on the pier underside. And in September, divers begin working on the landmark pier’s legs. Replacement of some of the wooden decking was also started. But in April 2013 it was announced that due to very strong winds and heavy seas, the contract had been extended by two months. In May 2013 it was reported that repair work on the pier had cost around £260,000.

In July 2013, a group of students from Cromer Academy were given the opportunity to take over the running of the pier for a matinee performance as part of a work experience project.

Good progress was made on the repairs to the pier throughout the Summer months towards a completion date in the Autumn of 2013.

December 2013 saw major storms and six people had to be rescued from the pier when they became marooned when a tidal surge battered the pier.
The box office for the Pier Pavilion Theatre was destroyed in the storm but work began quickly to clear the debris and begin repairs to the damage caused by the storm. An initial assessment by North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) put the cost of repairs in the “tens of thousands”. However, despite the storm damage, the Cromer Pier Christmas Show still managed to go ahead.

Then on New Year’s Eve, the already storm damaged box office was further damaged by vandals. Despite this mindless idiocy, work continued on repairs to the pier.

As a result of the storm damage, ticket sellers set up shop in the bar’s ice cream box while repairs were carried out on the water-damaged pier. But in May 2014, a temporary box office was opened, with the expectation that the original box office would be ready for the summer season. The council announced in July 2014 that the nest stage of repair work would commence in September to have everything ready by Easter 2015.

March 2015 – Cromer Pier wins National Piers Society’s Pier of the Year
All of the hard work was repaid in March 2015 when the members of the National Piers Society voted Cromer the Pier of the Year 2015. Worthing took second place, with Eastbourne and Llandudno tying in third place. The society’s president, Gavin Henderson, said: “There is no business like show business and Cromer Pier proves it.”

June 2015 – Cromer crowned Pier of the Year at opening night ceremony
And in June 2015, Tim Wardley, chairman of the National Piers Society, handed over a framed certificate to owners North Norfolk District Council, confirming Cromer’s title as Pier of the Year 2015, at the opening night of Cromer’s famous seaside variety show.

July 2015 – Cromer now the last of pier variety shows
In July 2015, it was reported that Cromer was now the only end of the pier variety show remaining in Europe, but the pier continued to uphold this tradition in fine style with two shows being performed there throughout the summer.

July 2015 – The Guardian feature a fantastic visual tour of Cromer Pier
And also in July, as if to emphasise Cromer Pier’s enduring appeal, the Guardian published online a wonderfuil series of 26 full colour images of different aspects of the pier, complete with informative captions and visitor comments.

September 2015 – Cromer Pier Theatre has a bumper summer season!
In September 2015, Cromer Pier reported audiences for its summer show were up 10%, the show having been seen by 32,000 people. Favourable reviews, including in the showbusiness magazine The Stage, wet weaather, and not running any one night Sunday concerts at the pier as competition during the summer show run were all cited as potential factors in the increase.

June 2016 – Cromer Pier Theatre show a sparkler
Cromer Pier’s Summer Spectacular, the last end-of-the-pier show in Europe, once again received rave reviews.

September 2016 – ‘Bumper summer’ for Cromer Pier Summer Show
And in September 2016, it was revealed that ticket sales for the current year’s Cromer Pier Summer Show were up 4.2pc on last year, leading pier chiefs to hail 2016 as “another bumper summer”.

October 2016 – Fishing could be banned from Cromer Pier?
A bar on fishing from the area around the lifeboat station had recently been put in place by the pier’s owners North Norfolk District Council and moves now seemed increasingly likely to ban all fishing on the pier. The problem was that an increasing amount of fishing hooks and weights were said to be accumulating on the pier from snagged lines, causing a health and safety issue.

November 2016 – Magical Cromer Christmas Show for 2016!
The essential ingredients of the Pavilion Theatre’s mulled version of its summer seaside special are the cosy atmosphere, bauble-bright colour, and the multi-talented performer, Olly Day.

January 2017 – Cromer reopens following storm surge
In January 2017, the storm-damaged promenade in Cromer reopened to the public five days after being pummeled by the sea. Clean up works were continuing and a rope access team worked under the pier to conduct repairs.

January 2017 – Cromer reopens following storm surge
January also saw an evocative article in the Eastern daily Press by Ian Collins about the history of Cromer Pier and his own personal experiences on the pier.

June 2017 – Cromer Pier Summer Show back for a 40th Year
In June 2017, it was reported that advance bookings for Cromer Pier’s 40th Summer variety show were in high demand. The only remaining end-of-the pier variety show, Cromer remained famous for its mix of talent, colourful costumes, dancers, stunning sets, lights and music

August 2017 – World Crabbing Championship helps restore peace to Cromer
After serious violent disorder caused by outsiders in the town the previous weekend, the end of August saw Cromer Pier help things to return to their normal peaceful state with the holding of the crabbing world championships.

October 2017 – Cromer end-of-pier show to continue under new management
In October 2017, it was announced that Cromer Pier’s owners, North Norfolk District Council, had awarded resort management company Openwide a 10-year contract to run and develop the pier. Openwide vowed to continue the pier’s famous theatre program.

November 2017 – Marks & Spencer chooses Cromer for winter photo shoot
The following month, Cromer Pier featured in Marks and Spencer’s adverts for its new fashion collection.

November 2017 – The wonderful appeal of Cromer Pier Pavilion Theatre
“The theatre is the heartbeat of the pier and the pier is the heartbeat of Cromer” – Pavilion Theatre manager on why the venue is so special.

December 2017 – Spectacular footage of Cromer Pier’s NYE fireworks display!
The free annual display, funded mostly through donations from a bucket collection, was also filmed from the air using a drone with special licence permissions.

January 2018 – Record-breaking season for Cromer Pier Christmas Show!
In January 2018, Cromer Pier reported that they had had more full houses than ever before which was reflected in their programme sales which were completely sold out by the end of week four, and even their ice cream sales were up on 2016 selling over 2,300 tubs during the intervals.

January 2018 – Folk on the Pier returns to Cromer for its 20th year!
Also in January, it was announced that Cromer’s popular folk rock festival would be returning to the Pier for it’s 20th birthday in the coming May.

February 2018 – New windshields for Cromer Pier?
A planning application for wind-shields in three areas of the pier was submitted by the pier’s management company in February 2018. However, Cromer Town Council raised multiple concerns over the plans with worries over loss of crabbing areas, safety issues, and where the shields would be stored when they were not in use.

March 2018 – Plans for Cromer Pier rejected
The wind-shields plans were rejected the following month. In their refusal statement to Openwide, who run the Pier on behalf of NNDC, the committee said: “In the opinion of the local planning authority the proposed works would be harmful to the special character of the grade II listed heritage asset, in particular its openness and visual symmetry”.

March 2018 – A spooky tale from Cromer Pier Pavilion!
The ghost of a well-known impresario and a host of hauntings was featured in an article on the Enjoy Cromer More website in March 2018. The ghost apparently meant that Cromer Pier was a magnet for paranormal investigators.

April 2018 – Cromer Pier’s Crabbing Festival back for 2018!
The festival, which takes place between Cromer and Sheringham, was advertised as being held from Friday May 18 to Sunday May 20, the weekend’s entertainment beginning with the Crab and Lobster Festival Grand Opening Concert at Cromer Pavilion Theatre.

April 2018 – 25 years since Cromer Pier was sliced in half!
In April 2018, the Eastern Daily Press ran an article recalling the incident when the pier was sliced in half by a runaway barge on a stormy Sunday in November 1993, creating a 30m gap in the pier.

April 2018 – Cromer Pier to lighten-up!
Also in April 2018, a proposal to allow three illuminated, and one non-illuminated signs, to be put up on the Grade II listed Cromer Pier was approved by the North Norfolk District Council.

September 2018 – The plot thickens at Cromer as Pier is closed for mystery BBC filming!
Cromer Pier closed for a day as a film crew headed to town for a BBC shoot, the details of which were being kept tightly under wraps.
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January 2019 – Crowds flock to Cromer Pier after BBC One festive film
Cromer in Norfolk was the location for the channel’s festive idents, which were shown before programmes. It also featured in the short film Wonderland , which showed a mother and teenager spending time together at a funfair on the pier.
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January 2019 – Antiques Roadshow from Cromer Pier due to be aired on 3rd February
The episode of BBC1’s popular TV series filmed at Cromer Pier was due to air on Sunday, February 3, at 8pm.
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February 2019 – £1 million investment in Cromer Pier
In February it was reported torth Norfolk District Council (NNDC) was spending a total of £1,000,000 to protect the future of the town’s famous pier. The improvements including strengthening the pier’s structural base, expected to be completed by early April, and the roof of the theatre, to be finished in time for the first pier show of the year on Thursday, March 28.
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May 2019 – In praise of Cromer and its Pier!
If you want something with a little more life, head west along the sea front to Cromer’s grade II-listed pier, which opened in 1901. At the far end, giddyingly suspended over the waves, you’ll find the Pavilion Theatre, one of only a small clutch of pier theatres left in the UK.
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June 2019 – Cromer Pier summer show gets of to a spectacular start!
Opening night of the Cromer Pier Show is the fail-safe way to know summer is well and truly here. The two-act all-singing, all-dancing production has been delighting the long-time residents and one-off visitors to the town since 1977, and 2019 was no exception.
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August 2019 – Bradley Walsh, former star of the Cromer Pier show, declares it ‘the greatest place on the planet’!
Mr Walsh, who took part in Cromer Pier Summer Shows from 1986-88, called it the “greatest place on the planet” and recalled how he’d stumble home from post-end-of-show drinks as the crab boats went out – or even later, as they came in.
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September 2019 – Insurance finally pays-out for Cromer Pier storm damage in 2013
A total of £468,954 of insurance money was finally received by North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) after Cromer Pier was damaged in a storm surge in 2013.
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October 2019 – Is Cromer Pier value for money?
New figures showed how North Norfolk District Council had spent more than £4.5m of public money over the previous 14 years to ensure the pier continued to be an integral part of life for residents and visitors to the popular town.
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November 2019 – Cromer Pier restoration work suspended for winter
High winds forced contractors to put a pause on restoration works at a north Norfolk landmark. Ongoing re-roofing works at Cromer Pier were paused until the spring of 2020, due to “worsening weather conditions” and “unworkable wind speeds”.
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December 2019 – Play set on Cromer Pier to open in London in February
Playwright James McDermott, from High Kelling, based Time and Tide on the pier and the town’s residents. The cast included renowned TV, film and theatre actress Wendy Nottingham, who previously lived in Cromer.
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May 2020 – Cromer pier stays closed
In May 2020, North Norfolk announced that they would not be opening Cromer pier or any of their public toilets which were currently closed, as they deemed this to be premature in light of the government’s stepped approach.
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May 2020 – 2020 Cromer Pier Summer Show has been cancelled
Also in May, Cromer Pier announced that due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic, they were very sad to announce that they had to make the heartbreaking decision to cancel the 2020 Cromer Pier Summer Show.
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June 2020 – Cromer Pier reopens for walking only
In June 2020, Cromer pier was again open for residents to enjoy. However, the Pavilion, Tides Restaurant and the Gift Shop remained closed. A spokesman for North Norfolk District council said: “We are aware that the pier is an iconic structure and are pleased that once again people can enjoy it, however we are still urging visitors to act responsibly”.
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July 2020 – Windbreaks finally installed at Cromer Pier
In July, glass windbreaks were installed on Cromer Pier to shelter people from the sea breeze while they were eating and drinking. It cost £130,000 to install the windbreaks, which were also designed to make socially-distanced dining more comfortable outside the pier’s Tides Restaurant and the Pavilion Theatre Bar.
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August 2020 – Variety show returns to Cromer Pier for summer season
The world’s only end-of-pier variety show was 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 wee 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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September 2020 – Without the theatre the pier will struggle
Cromer traders said they had enjoyed a bumper summer, but its famous pier and theatre warned it could take five years for it to recover from the impact of coronavirus.
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September 2020 – Cromer Pier struggles without theatre revenue
Cromer traders said they had enjoyed a bumper summer, but its famous pier and theatre warned it could take five years for it to recover from the impact of coronavirus. Francis Guildea, the general manager of Cromer Pier, said the summer had been a “constant challenge” because the Pavilion Theatre, which accounts for 70pc of the business, had been forced to close.
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October 2020 – Cromer Pier thanks customers for their support during difficult season
Debs Lewis, marketing and sales manager, at Openwide the manager of the Pier, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support shown so far with many people kindly donating their ticket cost, it has been immensely helpful in these incredibly challenging times for the theatre and the pier.”
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2020 – Cromer Pier Theatre receives lifeline from Arts Council England Culture Recovery Fund
Openwide Coastal Ltd, proud custodians and operators of Cromer Pier and Pavilion Theatre on behalf of North Norfolk District Council and the producers of the world famous Cromer Pier Show for the previous 19 years, announced in October that they were delighted with the news from Arts Council England that they had been awarded a grant from the Culture Recovery Fund.
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February 2021 – Cromer’s ‘Folk on the Pier’ postponed for a second year
A Norfolk folk festival was cancelled for the second consecutive year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The event would now take place on May 6, 7 and 8, 2022, with the same line-up as would have appeared at the 2020 event. Scott Butler, the festival curator, said: “‘The line-up for 2020 was always going to be a special line-up; I am totally overwhelmed that those artists have such faith in Folk on the Pier that they have been willing to commit to a second postponement.”
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July 2021 – New novel inspired by the Cromer Pier show!
Author Martin Gore penned his second book about the ‘Seaside Special’ titled The Road From Cromer Pier – a sequel to his 2019 volume. The drama takes place both on and off the stage in his novel, which centres around the Cromer Pier Show.
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July 2021 – Crabbing at Cromer Pier to go plastic-free?
Every year thousands of people flock to Cromer Pier to try their hand at catching crabs off the famous landmark. But, as part of its bid to move towards becoming a plastic-free community, Cromer Town Council agreed to ask North Norfolk District Council, which owns the pier, to ban the sale and use of plastic crab lines on the landmark.
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September 2021 – Cromer Pier Pavilion Theatre pays tribute to one of its most popular stars
In September, it was announced that the life of entertainer Paul Eastwood would be being celebrated in a show at one of the venues he was famous for – Cromer Pier’s Pavilion Theatre. The tribute shows were scheduled to take place on October 31 at 2pm and 7.30pm and money raised would go to the neuro intensive care unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, a cause that was close to his family’s heart for the treatment he received there.
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October 2021 – Autumn season of shows return to Cromer Pier
An autumn of music and comedy was set to return to the Pavilion Theatre at Cromer Pier after a coronavirus-enforced break of 16 months. Deb Lewis, the pier’s marketing, box office and retail manager, said the team is “absolutely thrilled to be staging the first of the autumn touring shows and welcoming our concert audiences back to the theatre”.
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February 2022 – The show goes on at Cromer Pier as contract with Openwide is renewed
Visitors to Cromer Pier’s Pavilion Theatre will soon be able to enjoy an upgraded bar and restaurant thanks to a £45,000 boost. Councillors on North Norfolk District Council (NNDC), which owns the pier, voted to give the money to Openwide Coastal, which runs the theatre, as well as to extend the company’s contract by five years.
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February 2022 – Vintage sixties festival returns to Cromer Pier
The town’s pier is to host a Vintage Sixties Festival on Saturday, April 2, three years after the event was held for the first time.
Debs Lewis, event manager, said: “The festival is an opportunity for enthusiasts of the era to congregate, demonstrate and reignite their passion for the era that brought us the Beatles, Twiggy, Pirate Radio, the Mini and so much more”.
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March 2022 – Folk on the Pier returns to Cromer
It has been called “the best gig on the North Sea”, and now Folk on the Pier is set to return to Cromer for the first time since 2019. The festival will feature musicians including Bafta-nominated TV entertainer of the year Richard Digance, Wizz Jones, TRADarrr and festival patron Ashley Hutchings. Gigs will take place at the pier’s Pavilion Theatre from May 6-8.
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May 2022 – Folk on the Pier returns to Cromer this weekend
Cromer is about to burst into song and dance as the long-awaited return of the Folk on the Pier festival is almost here. And the gigs are not only happening at the pier’s Pavilion Theatre – there is also a ‘Folk on the Pier’ fringe programme with free gigs at venues including the White Horse, The Albion and Cromer Social Club.
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June 2022 – Cromer Pier has a right royal knees-up!
Cromer Pier was given a right royal makeover to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Visitors to the iconic landmark during the long weekend were greeted by welcome posters, flags and signs put up especially to mark the occasion.
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June 2022 – £1 million investment at Cromer Pier to secure its future
North Norfolk District Council says the works – with a budget of £1,134,000 – are vital to protect the Grade-II listed pier, which is home to the Pavilion Theatre and Cromer Lifeboat Station. The works which are due to take place between summer this year and next year, will focus on the pier’s seabed piles and their supporting steel structures, as well as the pier’s timber decking.
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September 2022 – Cromer Pier structural maintenance continues
In September, it was announced that the third and major phase of a £1,134,000 project to shore up Cromer Pier was due to start imminently. The third phase had an estimated cost of £945,000, and would focus on the deck beams and lattice structure holding up the pier, mostly below the theatre itself.
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October 2022 – Upgrade for Cromer Pier Pavilion planned

In October, it was announced that Plans for Cromer Pier could see the bar, cafe and toilets in the Pavilion Theatre refurbished. North Norfolk District Council submitted the application to its own planning officers to make a series of changes to the Grade II listed building. The proposal was part of a £1,134,000 project to upgrade the pier.
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October 2022 – Homage to Cromer Pier show premiers at film festival!
Seaside Special, a film about one of Britain’s remaining end-of-the-pier variety shows in Cromer, Norfolk. Its director, Jens Meurer, said the film was a “homage” to the show he had “fallen in love” with 10 years ago when his in-laws took him to see it.
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February 2023 – Cromer Pier documentary a critical success in Germany
Called Seaside Special, the film delved behind the scenes of the world’s only end-of-pier variety show, set amid a backdrop of the Brexit negotiations of 2019 and the social tensions it created.
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February 2023 – Revamp of Cromer Pier Theatre to get the go-ahead
The plans would see the upgrading of the theatre’s toilets and the relocation of the accessible toilet to reduce the required travel for a wheelchair user. It would also include increasing the internal floor space by enclosing two outdoor seating areas and replacing the bar furniture. The proposal was part of a £1,134,000 project to upgrade the pier and had seen the support of the town council.
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March 2023 – Cromer Pier Pavilion bar reopens after refurbishment
The refurbishment represented a £300,000 investment into the Grade 2 listed structure and key cultural icon in North Norfolk. These works were undertaken to strengthen the bar area and offer a relaxing place for the public to enjoy a selection of beverages and food, both while on the Pier or visiting the theatre.
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March 2023 – Smoke on the water at Cromer Pier!
Cromer Pier was evacuated just before a Pink Floyd tribute show was about to start. The pier’s Pavilion Theatre was cleared after smoke – produced as part of the show – blew into the bar area, setting off an alarm.
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June 2023 – HOP win Peter Mason Award for work on Cromer Pier

In ‘Year of the Pier’ 2023 the award was presented to HOP Consulting Ltd, Civil and Structural Engineers of Hove, for restoration works carried out on Grade II listed Cromer Pier.
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July 2023 – Celebrating Cromer Pier lifeboat station’s 100th anniversary
The RNLI hosted a week-long exhibition in collaboration with the seafront Henry Blogg Museum to mark the milestone, featuring exhibits and photographs from 1923 to 2023, and volunteers were on hand to explain more about the past century of lifesaving.
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September 2023 – Fairport Convention return to Cromer Pier folk festival
In September it was announced that Fairport Convention, who were central to the start of the annual Folk on the Pier event, would play at the pier’s Pavilion Theatre on Wednesday, November 1. This year would mark the band’s 56th year on the British folk-rock scene, and they planned to play some old favourites as well as new material at the gig.
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October 2023 – Cromer Pier Show documentary film to be shown at UK cinemas
Shot on 16mm film, Seaside Special depicts the UK’s last original end-of-the-pier variety show, and the people who put it on preparing for their 2019 summer season. The film was set for theatrical release in the UK and Ireland from November 10.
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