Hastings Pier in WW2, continued - Derequisitioning

Taken from http://www.pillbox.org.uk/pillblogs/detail.asp?ID=370 with permission

Not only were formal documents and procedures needed to requisition the piers, but also to reverse the process.

However, the army was unwilling to derequisition some of the piers under its control.  The War Office issued orders to all commands in November 1943, to submit lists of requisitioned piers and whether control of them could be relinquished.

As a result, of the 53 requisitioned piers in Great Britain at that time, 18 were found to have no operational value as of December 1st 1943.

South Eastern Command's response was that both Brighton Piers and and that at Eastbourne were under its control, as well as some in West Sussex and Kent, stating: "It is NOT considered operationally desirable that any of these piers should be de-requisitioned."

This indicates that St. Leonards and Hastings Piers had already been handed back. There had been some great confusion over the latter in 1941 however.

In August, the War Office had noticed that the Hastings Corporation had cut out an new 40-ft section, effectively severing the pier from the promenade.  This, it was argued, was contrary to Defence Regulations, as the Corporation had prevented access to property that the War Office might want to occupy.

The graphic below explains the situation and is based on a sketch drawn at the time.

Hastings Corporation owned what was known as the 'Parade Extension', but the pier proper was owned by the Hastings Pier Company.  Both had been served requisition notices, and the army cut the main gap.

The Corporation rejected the charge against them and it was discovered that a local military commander had, in fact, asked them to undertake the work in May 1941, so that the promenade could be completely sealed up with barbed wire entanglements.

It was not until late 1944 that all piers were allowed to be handed back to their respective owners; on 21st December, the War Office issued the following order:

...it is now considered that the operational necessity of the retention of piers for defence purposes has now ceased...

The Hastings Promenade Extension was still the subject of requisitioning confusion in May and June 1945.  The Corporation believed that compensation would be paid under an 'omnibus' agreement that covered all their property as one process.  However, the War Office maintained that the pier was not part of this process and demanded a separate claim form to be submitted.  How this issue was resolved is seemingly not recorded!

Hastings Pier in WW2, continued - Cryptic Camouflage

Taken from http://www.pillbox.org.uk/pillblogs/detail.asp?ID=370, with permission.

Eastbourne and Hastings Piers, and those at Brighton were subject to a mysterious project in late 1942.  The Royal Engineers based at Battle Abbey give us some information:

13th October: No.3 Section started work on job H.P. at Hastings Pier, where Major Woods, Captain Turner and Lieut. Love met Lieut. Evers at 08:30 hrs, who explained the job required, i.e., the screening off of the lower part of the pier. About 30% of the job was completed today.

The following day, job E.P. at Eastbourne Pier was begun, again, to screen the lower part of the pier.

Both jobs were to be completed by Saturday 17th October.  It is assumed that this entailed covering the piles and strutwork beneath the decking.

On 15th October, Hastings was 80% complete and Eastbourne 40%, but progress had been held up by a lack of cordage.  The 17th October deadline passed and it was another two days before the necessary cordage was delivered to the piers.

The work appears to have been completed around this time; nothing more is said of the matter until 7th November when the screens at both piers were lowered in tests.

Orders were received on 10th November that the screens must be lifted by the following night, which was duly done in the morning of the 11th.

The Divisional Engineer records "two sections rolling up the camouflage on Hastings and Eastbourne Piers.  The job is not the success it might have been."  The documents only give the above information. Was it some sort of unsuccessful trial at concealing something under the pier?  The screens were presumably at the shore end, where the cross-braces and risk of beaching would surely rule out landing craft being hidden there.

Hastings Pier in WW2, continued

Taken from http://www.pillbox.org.uk/pillblogs/detail.asp?ID=370, with permission.

The photo below was taken by the Luftwaffe in 1940 and shows both piers, with Hastings on the right.

Both St. Leonards and Hastings had had their detonators removed in the wake of the Dunkirk emergency; they were back in position by 20:00 on June 5th. Three weeks later, orders were received to remove the decking from both piers. An 18ft gap had been cut in St. Leonards Pier using oxy-actylene equipment by July 12th, but the completion of the job is not recorded as complete until 23rd August.

However, both piers had been cut enough that, that by 17:00 on 1st August, the detonators and charges had finally been removed.

The cutting of the girders at St. Leonards had proved valuable to the army though; some RSJs  were salvaged and an RE unit used three of them to build a roof for a field gun emplacement at Rye. A year later, another Royal Engineers Field Company managed to build overhead cover for 12 artillery emplacements using RSJs from St. Leonards.

It's quite likely that similar reuse of materials from the other piers took place, but is not explicitly recorded.

Hastings Pier in WW2, continued

Requisitioning, June 1940
East Sussex Piers in wartime

On June 23rd, Eastern Command issued fresh instructions regarding the demolition of piers.  The Admiralty had struck back in the argument over who was responsible for the piers, and had pointed out that the first warning of an invasion might be German craft actually landing alongside the piers.  This would mean that it would be too late for the army to insert the detonators and blow the charges.

It was therefore preferable to cut out a bay from each pier as soon as possible to avoid this scenario.

Matters were later clarified by the War Damage Act, 1941 which stated that damage incurred due to preparations to meet enemy attack (regardless of whether the attack came) could be classed as war damage.

A December afternoon

Hastings Pier in Wartime–Second World War

Taken, with permission, from http://www.pillbox.org.uk/pillblogs/detail.asp?ID=370

Demolition preparations, May 1940
It wasn't until 10th May, 1940 that the Sussex coastline found itself potentially on the front line as the Germans launched their offensive in France and the Low Countries.

The earliest mention of the piers is in reference to their partial demolition on 13th May, when a report on Eastbourne, St. Leonards and Hastings Piers was compiled by a Royal Engineers field company based at Robertsbridge.

The reason for the proposed demolition was simple; in the event of invasion, it was feared that the Germans might try and use the piers to disembark troops and supplies from their ships.

The Germans, of course, were well aware of the piers;

Belts of Dannert wire were erected at the pier heads as the work in placing explosive charges theoretically proceeded; Eastern Command stipulated that one bay below low tide level and one above high tide should be removed.  The plan at this time was not to blow the charges immediately, but within three hours of the invasion warning being received.

Then, on 22nd May, the preparations were thrown into confusion as the Admiralty got involved.  As the Royal Navy was responsible for all defensive matters below high water mark, it was held that the demolitions were under its control.  Having been given orders by the Senior Naval Officer at Newhaven, the RE Company Commander reported his concerns to his Divisional superior, who promptly countermanded the Navy's orders.  The RE were not to undertake the demolitions on the Navy's orders, but, when required, the work was to be done by civilian contractors under RE supervision.

The following day the situation changed again, and the engineers were instructed to begin preparations; the orders for demolition were written out; the army would be responsible for ordering the ultimate blowing of the charges.

Explosives were collected and the RE finally set to work; at 18:30 on 24th May, the Brighton pier demolition charges were reported as completed.  At 06:00 the following day, the piers at Eastbourne, St. Leonards and Hastings were also ready for "hasty demolition."

Then on 27th May, the situation changed yet again; the detonators and explosives were to be removed from the piers!  This was because it was expected that the British Expeditionary Force would use the piers to disembark troops from the evacuation of Dunkirk.

The Dunkirk evacuation ended on 4th June without the Sussex piers being used.

Pier’s Progress #10 - From Hastings Independent Press

"The roof of the Bandstand Pavilion has been prepared for the zinc cladding. The sheets of zinc are nailed down and joined together with 'standing seams' (similar to those on a lead roof). The central section of roof is almost complete. The cladding of the domes is under way, and the decorative pole from the north dome has been re-instated.

Once the Bandstand Pavilion has been fully refurbished, it will be used as a restaurant. However, extra space is required for customer toilets and an additional kitchen area. Consequently, two small extensions ('pods') are to be added to the Bandstand Pavilion (on the western side). These 'pods' will be circular and flat roofed, and of a timber frame construction like the Bandstand Pavilion itself. The two extensions will be clad with wood from the old Pier deck. The south 'pod' will be built first."

See the full story at http://hastingsindependentpress.co.uk/2014/12/piers-progress-10/

December Newsletter

 

 

 

 

Happy Christmas from Hastings Pier Charity

Construction Update

The demolition of the Ballroom was successfully completed, ahead of schedule and the temporary scaffold road has been removed.  We have carried out the initial survey of the Pier Head steelwork to confirm what needs to be replaced and start the manufacturing process.  The repair work will start in the New Year and will continue through to the end of the Project.
Elsewhere, the repairs to the structure continue, with the temporary ‘rig’ progressing along the Pier to provide the working platform for the steelworkers. The steelwork to the main spine has now been replaced up to the Pier Head and when the deck is laid, it provides us with the access for the work. The old balustrade around the Pier Head is being carefully removed and is to be taken by Hastings Borough Council for use in the Country Park.
We are now making preparations for the start of the Visitor Centre construction in the New Year. There are six new piles to be bored to form the foundations, these will be drilled from the deck. We have just carried out a borehole investigation to establish the make-up of the ground beneath the Pier so that we can calculate how deep the new piles will have to be. On to the piles we will build a new steel structure to take the load of the new building.
Work on the refurbishment of the Bandstand Pavilion continues. The new zinc covering to the main roof and the two cupolas is being completed. Inside the building, the new floor structure is being built up and steel supports installed in the walls to form the openings for the windows. We have also treated all of the existing roof timbers with a fire retardant spray which will give it some fire protection. The new pod extensions on the West side are being constructed, these will form the new toilets and kitchen support areas, and they will be clad with some of the old timber deck.
Picture taken by John Cole wishing

Staff profile: Clive Wormald - Financial Controller
I started work in the Lloyd's Insurance Market back in the mid-seventies where I trained to be an accountant. In 2005, after 30 years of commuting to London I decided to take early retirement and to work locally in and around my home town of Eastbourne. I have had a several local jobs prior to this latest appointment, including working as a Disability Employment Advisor on a European Social Fund Project, a Town Clerk for Polegate Town Council and Chief Executive of Age Concern Eastbourne.
Undoubtedly this project is one of the most exciting and interesting things I have had the pleasure to be involved with. I believe the rebirth of the Pier will be a fantastic fillip for Hastings and I am proud to be associated with this unique adventure. 

Science On Sea

Science. The Pier. The Sea. All very interesting, super exciting and ever changing. If you like your science, and science near the sea, why not come along to one of our interactive educational and most engaging workshops.  They are just for you, for the Pier and all about the Pier. Hosted by Americano-Sussex Science Dude Brad Gross, these family friendly, engaging, all ages - bang smash boom pow type science workshop will leave you feeling like a breath of fresh air and to top it off there will be something to take home too.
FREE December 2014 to March 2015 every 2^nd Saturday of the month @ The Hub
Saturday 13^th December 2014
11am – 12noon or 1pm – 2pm
If you would like to book a place email or phone us 01424 435587

Help make sure your local school doesn't miss out!

We are in the process of setting up an e-Learning Network through which we want to reach all the schools in Hastings and the local area.
We will be using this email network to let teachers know about exciting and FREE opportunities for schools!
If you know a teacher that would like to be added please ask them to e mail: learning@hpcharity.co.uk

In Living Memory

Hastings Pier’s Learning and Education department are going to be starting work on a new and unique inter-generational oral history project called ‘In Living Memory’.
We are recruiting for a Coordinator for the project so if you know anyone with experience in community engagement and in gathering oral histories do encourage them to check out the recruitment section of our website.
The project will connect local school children with older people in our community and the students will train in oral history interview techniques and learn how to use recording equipment to gather people’s personal stories about the pier. The students will then use these stories to devise a piece of verbatim theatre which will be performed in Hastings.
If you have a great story to share about Hastings Pier and think it could be interesting for the project please e mail beatrice.rapley@hpcharity.co.uk with the subject line ‘In Living Memory’ and once the Coordinator is in place they will contact you.
Your story could become part of an original drama and you could be played by an actor in a re-enactment of your own story!
Photograph by Chris Parker

The Hub will be closing for 1 month from Sunday 14th December 2014 and will open again on Saturday 10th January 2015.  Have a fab Christmas and a great new year!

Quote from a contemporary newspaper, 6th August, 1872, reporting on the opening of Hastings Pier

“The handsome Pier which your lordship has so kindly consented to open may be taken as an additional proof of the desire of the residents of this place to render their town as attractive and beneficial as possible to the numerous visitors who are in the habit of resorting thither.

It was certainly a singular thing with respect to an enterprise of this novel character, which would have been almost impossible 50 years ago, and if steam and electricity had not brought Hastings so near the metropolis. It was originally intended to associate a harbour with the pier, but that part of the scheme had been abandoned.

It happened he [Earl Granville, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports] had not seen many of the most modern piers, but, as far as his experience went, he had never seen a more beautiful work designed for enjoyment, recreation, and restoration of health.  It appeared to him that this was a peerless pier – a pier without a peer, excepting, perhaps, the unfortunate peer who had the honour of addressing them.

He would only add further that he trusted the pier would give enjoyment, recreation, and restoration of health not to hundreds, not to thousands, but to millions of their fellow-countrymen, that it would give some reasonable profit at all events to the shareholders, who had actuated not so much by purely commercial motives as by an honourable public spirit, and that it would confer all the advantages upon that ancient town and delightful watering-place which the promoters of the undertaking had a right to expect.”

https://comestepbackintime.wordpress.com/2014/03/14/the-piers-bicentenary-celebrated-in-bbc-documentary-the-end-of-the-pier-show/

Hastings, East Sussex, from the East Cliff- painted 1881; Hasting Pier, opened 9 years earlier (W H Borrow)

New post on Hastings Independent Press

Pier’s Progress #9

 

SMOKE ON THE WATER, HASTINGS PIER FIRE - limited edition etching ...
www.ryepress.co.uk

The heat of the fire, combined with the Ballroom's own weight, caused the building's metal framework to buckle and twist in upon itself, effectively creating a giant spring.  This phenomenal tension played a key part in preventing the whole building from collapsing, but presented certain challenges for the demolition company. ………………

The highest section of masonry (on the east side) was considered the most vulnerable to spontaneous collapse, so work began here. This section of the building was 'hinge cut' at the base to produce a controlled collapse - just like felling a tree. Unexpectedly, this had no effect, and further cutting was required.  This also had no effect.  Finally, it was decided to use the crane's grabber to 'nudge' the cut section of the building. This was successful, and the fallen debris was later collected by the crane. …………….  See the whole story at The Hastings Independent Press - Pier’s Progress #9

Pier progress inspection by volunteers

Last raft of dates (for now)

1972. Gary Glitter appeared on the pier in 1972.

1972. -Hastings Pier celebrated its 100th birthday on August 5 1972.

1976: The Department of the Environment lists the pier as a building of special architectural and historical interest.  Awarded Grade II listed status

1978. For the year ended 31st March 1978 the Hastings Pier Company made a net profit of £9,761 – a reduction of £147 compared with the previous year.

1982: The pier celebrates its 110th birthday.

1982. The pier celebrated its 110th birthday - To celebrate the piers 110th birthday the Pub on the Pier sold ales, spirits, and fortified wines at the original 1872 prices.

1982. Over 1 million visitors were recorded

1983. Humberglow Ltd paid £196,000 to acquire the Hastings Pier Company. In the same year, storms caused £100,000 of damage.

1983. Peter Fisher took over the pier with Mr John Shrive. 185 stockholders were advised to take the £3.25 offer for each unit of stock because of the heavy maintenance costs.

1983. Severe storms damaged the pier. Winds whipped a dome from the top of the halfpenny arcade and it smashed down on another section, shattering a roof, destroying a suntrap and flattening iron railings.

1983 April - Hastings Pier was bought for £195,000 by two local amusements operators from the company that had owned it since it was built in 1872.

1985. A British light – middleweight boxing title fight took place on the pier.

1987 – Pier damaged in the 1987 storm

1993 – Storm causes £100,000 worth of damage

1996. The pier went on sale for £3.5 million in 1996.

1999. On Wednesday October 13 1999 the pier was closed down.

2000: The pier stands derelict until August when it is purchased by Mundial Invest S.A.

2001: Hastings Pier changes hands yet again. This time to Ravenclaw Investments Inc. Ravenclaw is a sister company of Mundial Invest S.A. Pier re-opened

2006. HBC closes main part of pier due to safety reasons

2006. The pier tenants struggled through October to keep their businesses going, but finally gave up on Halloween. The pier closed completely from 1 November 2006.

2006. , Hastings Council helped Stylus come to an agreed safety plan with Hastings Magistrates, and it reopened its part of the pier in July 2007. Stylus invested substantially in making its bingo club, bar and amusements attractive, which gave momentum to the public support for preserving the pier.

2008. The Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust (HPWRT) was officially registered on 1 February 2008

2008. 11 March, a gale damaged the seaward end of the pier, with two upright columns breaking away from their support. There were fears that this could be the ‘beginning of the end’ for the pier, and there was further minor damage over the following five months.

2008. The pier finally closed completely on Sunday 31 August 2008

2008. Heritage Lottery Fund for £2 million was turned down in early December

2009. Saturday 17 October the trust held a march from the pier to the town centre, with two thousand people taking part.

2010. Disaster struck Hastings Pier early in the morning of Tuesday 5 October 2010, when about 95% of the buildings and most of the decking were destroyed in a massive blaze.

2011. de Rijke Marsh Morgan are announced in January as the winners of the competition to select an architect for the redevelopment of Hastings Pier.

2011. - Saturday 12th March for the Party on the Prom held to celebrate Hastings Pier and to help plan for its future. Residents were given the chance to speak to the architects, dRMM, and say what they wanted the new structure to look like when it is rebuilt.

2012. Only one letter of objection to the compulsory purchase of Hastings Pier was received, the borough council says it's not someone from Hastings and more significantly it's not the current owner of the pier.   (May 2012)

2012. Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awards a grant of £11.4 million

2013 – HPWRT (Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust) hand over to Hastings Pier Charity

2013. 30 Mar -Jo Brand Stands Up For Hasting's Pier - A Night of Stand Up Comedy from Bafta Award Winner Jo Brand, plus support from Angela Barnes, Quincy and Doon Mackichan

2014. Share offer closed 5th April, having raised over £590,000 (target £500,000)

2014. September – Jack Up Barge arrives to assist in dismantling the ballroom

Story of the pier at http://www.hastingschronicle.net/hastingsPier.html

Tea lights galore from the workshop

Dateline 1939+

1939: World War II the pier is requisitioned for training purposes. During the war enemy did damage to the pier by bombing.

1939. With the outbreak of World War II the pier was requisitioned for training purposes.

1940 May 22- Refugees from France and Belgium were landed on Hastings Pier by a Belgian tug.  Two men were carrying 13 million Belgian francs, the funds of the Belgian railway.

1943, During World War II a section was demolished to stop it being used as a landing platform by invading Germans.

1945: For reasons of defence, the pier is broken near the shore-end to prevent the Germans from using it as a landing stage.

1946: The pier is de-requisitioned and re-opened.

1946. The pier didn't make a profit but it soon recovered when the pre-war crowds came back.

1946. Despite some bomb damage the pier was re-opened

1940's. The Art Deco façade and minarets at the shoreward end were added

1951: A west view solarium and covered way is opened by the mayor

1951. The east side solarium was constructed.

1956: The east view solarium is opened.

1956. The west side solarium was constructed

1958. 1,000 women attended the annual Easter fashion show on the Pier.

1961 April - The large bandstand that had been a feature of the pier since 1916 was replaced by a smaller, moveable one

1960's. In the 60's characters such as Dr Cullen, the drunken fortune teller with long flowing hair, worked on The Pier as did The Great Omani, who lay on a bed of nails or, bound and chained, flung himself from the pier entertaining visitors.

1960's. During the 60's The Hollies, The Springfields, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Freddie and the Dreamers, the Searchers, Cilla Black, Tom Jones, The Who and The Troggs performed on the pier.

1960's. In the mid 60's a Townsend hovercraft operated near the Pier.

1964. The Rolling Stones performed on the pier in 1964 and returned three more times.

1966: The Hastings Corporation builds the Triodome on the parade extension to house The Hastings Embroidery.

1966 May 24 - The Hastings Embroidery, a successor to the Bayeux Tapestry by the Royal School of Needlework, was unveiled in the pier’s Triodome by Princess Alice. The Triodome, which replaced the bandstand demolished in 1961, was converted into an amusements arcade in 1969, and removed c1984.

1968: The parade extension and Triodome is acquired from the Corporation by the Hastings Pier Company.

1968. On Saturday 20th January 1968 at 7:45 till 11:45pm Pink Floyd performed on the Pier with Beaufords Image. Tickets were 12/6 in advance and 15/- at the door.

1968. Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett played his last ever show with the band on Hastings Pier, on January 20, 1968.

1969: The Triodome is converted into an amusement arcade. The bandstand shelters on the parade extension are converted into shops and kiosks.

After the rain has gone.....

Hastings Pier History, carrying on where we left off–

1900. Pier Problems From the Hastings News of 16/05/1901 The annual meeting of the Hastings Pier Company took place on 13 May was a heated affair. The company was not doing well and many shareholders were unhappy, voting against the chairman’s report. They felt the increased spending on band and entertainments was unwarranted, and it could be better if the pier went back to the old form of less expensive entertainment.

1900. Pier Fire From the Hastings News of 20/07/1900 There was an outbreak of fire on Hastings Pier during a concert on Sunday 15 July. The fire was put out promptly, though flames were seen from White Rock Parade

1904. Pier AGM: Good and Bad From the Hastings Mail of 28/05/1904 The AGM of the Hastings Pier Company was held in the Pier Pavilion. The directors were John Reeves, ST Weston JP, Dr GG Gray JP and WE Brown, with secretary LT Weston. There was much criticism from shareholders. Reeves said 1889-92 were the four most prosperous years they ever had.

1909. Pier Company’s Poor Results From the Hastings Mail of 24/04/1909 The AGM of the Hastings Pier Company on 21 April heard there was decreased profit and no dividend. A future plan was for a pavilion at the shore end. The directors were criticised.

1910: A small building is built on the deck at a cost of £2,500 to house a shooting gallery, animated pictures and additional amusements.

1910. A bowling alley was built on the Pier and a Joy wheel installed.

1912. A rifle saloon was built on the Pier

1913:  The shore-end section of the pier known as the 'Parade Extension' is sold to the Hastings Corporation for £7,000.

1913. The entrance to the pier was purchased and a new bandstand and shelter was to be built, to house 1,000 people under cover and 2,000 in the open air.

1913. The open deck was closed in and a bandstand and shelters were added.

1914 Sept- Hastings Council bought a quarter of Hastings Pier (the 220 feet nearest the land) and rebuilt it as a 220-feet square extension of the promenade. A bandstand and two curving large shelters were erected (the shelters are still there) and the extension was officially opened on April 19 1916.

1914. The Joywheel was removed

1915:  Proceeds from the sale are used to pay for new buildings at the shore-end, south of the extension, to contain an arcade, shops, tea room etc. The aim is to provide shelter all the way along the pier from the tollhouse to the sea-end pavilion.

1916. The new bandstand was built.(Visitors were later to complain of having to look at sick people on the hospital balcony nearby, whilst listening to the band.)

1917: July 15- A great fire destroyed the pavilion at the seaward end of Hastings Pier. The blaze was thought to have been caused by one of the Canadian soldiers stationed in the town discarding a cigarette. Much of the pier was damaged.

1920- A motorboat became a summer attraction on the pier.

1922: A new pavilion is opened. The central section of the pier is enlarged from 45ft to 80ft.

1922 the pavilion was rebuilt, it attracted lots of criticism and was compared with an aircraft hanger.

1922 . A replacement structure was built in with a less elaborate ballroom style structure at the end of the pier.

1925/6 - The landward end of Hastings Pier was rebuilt in a much extended form.

1928: The pier is modernised.

1930: Early 1930's the shore-end pavilion is reconstructed with a new frontage and is described as "an elegant and perfect example of the 'art deco' style of architecture and fashionable". The interior of the pavilion becomes an intimate theatre.

1930's. In the mid 30's a searchlight was attached to the pier to provide light and midnight swimming it was very popular with the youngsters.

1930's. In the 1930's stunt divers performed on the hour. They would dive into the sea from the top deck, tied up and fastened in sacks. They would sink into the sea and reappear later free from the sacks. The crowds loved it!

1936: Magistrates approve plans for improving #Hastings Pier.

1938: Storm damage to sea-end, and loss of sea-bed, results in repair costs of £22,000. Business is severely affected by the necessary closure.

1938 . Considerable storm damage was done to the sea-end of the pier and resulted in repairs of over £22,000.

Some Pier History–1866 - 1899

01/1866	Harbour and Pier? From the Hastings News of 26/01/1866 A council meeting on 19 January decided against the harbour and pier projects. But special council meetings on 12 and 16 February discussed a letter received from the promoters of the projects, and then approved the plans.
12/1869	Hastings Pier: Work Starts 18/12/1869 The first pile of Hastings Pier was driven at 3.00 am.
03/1870	Pier Piles From the Hastings News of 25/03/1870 The first cargo of iron works for the pier had arrived at Whitstable harbour. For more than a week the heavy screw piles had been hauled to the Parade at White Rock and stacked ready for use.
07/1870	Pier Progress From the Hastings News of 15/07/1870 About a hundred of the new screw piles of the pier now being built had now been driven in.
07/1871	Submarine Forest From the Hastings News of 21/07/1871 A large iron pile for the new pier-head hit a hard object and broke the large screw. It was a large oak trunk, three feet widest, 24 feet long, weight about 2 tons. “The pier-head is evidently in the very heart of the forest, as several smaller trees have already been taken up, and many others are scattered about. ” The new saloon is almost completed and will be the biggest room in the borough.
01/1877	1877 Jan 1 - The highest tide on record and a gale caused the worst damage on record, partly washing away the parade and some of the pier.
08/1883	Pier’s Busiest Day From the Hastings News of 10/08/1883 Hastings Pier had its busiest day so far in its 11-year history on Bank Holiday Monday, 6 August, when over 9,400 people passed through the turnstiles.
08/1885	Pier Landing Stage From the Hastings News of 28/08/1885 A new landing stage at the pier, costing £1,140, had commenced.
08/1887	Pier Steamer From the Hastings News of 12/08/1887 The pleasure steamer the Nelson was plying from Hastings Pier every weekday.
05/1890	Pier Landing Stage From the Hastings News of 02/05/1890 A big new landing stage on Hastings Pier was opened for steamboat traffic on Thursday 1 May.  The original landing stage was along the east side of the promenade beside the Pavilion. The work of the last ten months had extended this to the end of the pier and then taken in the whole of the pier-head. The staging now ran round both the east and south side of the Pavilion, but not the west, because that was too exposed. The staging was in three levels. About 400-500 tons of greenheart woods had been used, plus130-140 tons of iron. As many as four steamers could use the pier together.
02/1899	Pier Improvement From the Hastings News of 03/02/1899 The Hastings Pier pavilion closed at the end of January for re-roofing and enlargement. It was expected to re-open in mid-May. The pavilion had been open continuously since the pier opened in 1872.
09/1899	Pier Fire From the Hastings News of 22/09/1899 There was a fire on Hastings Pier on Monday 18 September, with the decking close to the side seats alight. The  probable cause was a careless smoker.

Make and Take - tea light holders

Join Bea  Rapley, one of the Learning and Education Managers and the Education Volunteers on Saturday 22nd November at The Hub, where we will be making tea light holders from the original pier planks and clay between 11am and 4pm.

• No booking required: just turn up on the day, we have enough resources for 50 people

• This workshop is suitable for children and we especially welcome families to come and work together.

 

The wood to be used is ‘Ipe’ and is one of the hardest woods on earth.   It comes originally from Brazil, but was used on Hastings Pier as decking behind the West Pavilion (near to where the old Gritti Palace was situated).  The exact history of the wood is unknown, but the Project Engineer thinks it may have been put in place following the 1987 storms.

The planks have been especially prepared for the workshop by the pier’s construction and engineering apprentices. We will be hand sanding and oiling the wood with teak oil and linseed oil and making a little holder for a tea light.

 
Once you have completed your tea light holder you will be able to take it home with you, a little piece of the pier to twinkle on your mantelpiece, or to give as a Christmas gift.

All lights blazing

A Symphony in colour as evening draws on

Construction update 3rd November 2014

• The old ballroom has now been removed.

• The concrete slab at the front is being broken up and should be cleared within the next week.
  Best Demolition are using a remote control machine with a pneumatic breaker to remove the slab safely.
• The demolition has gone very well and will actually be completed ahead of schedule.
• Now that the Pier Head is clear, a detailed survey of the structure can be carried out and preparations made for the contractor to start the repairs to the steel structure in December.
• The build up to the roof of the Old Pavilion is complete with insulation and waterproofing; the new zinc covering has now started. This will take about six weeks to finish, covering the main pitched roof and the two cupolas.
• Inside the building, the new floor structure is being built up and the structural restraints installed. All of the existing roof timbers have been treated with a fire retardant .
• Elsewhere on the Pier, the repairs to the steel structure continue with new trusses and beams being installed. The spine ‘road’ to the Pier Head will be completed this month, enabling full access with small vehicles.
• Also being installed are considerable amount of bracing and tie rods below the deck to hold the structure rigid and to resist the forces of the sea.
• Construction of the Visitor Centre hopefully will start early in the New Year.

The Community Shares Company and Hastings Pier

• Hastings Pier closed in 2004 and burnt down in 2010. The Charity had secured over £13M of lottery funding to enable the structure to be renovated but was short of the money to finish the build.
• It is essential that there are attractions on the Pier that earned enough money to cover ongoing maintenance. That meant working capital to develop the business but it was critical that this came from people who were prepared to be patient and allow the Pier time to develop its business.
• They also needed to energise the local community into supporting their Pier and knit people into the business. It was vital that this wasn’t about the lottery repairing the Pier in honour of its glorious heritage, but the community coming together to get their Pier developed as a symbol of a better future.

Hastings pier workings video

The Pier share issue was revolutionary because it was the first time a registered charity in the UK has issued share capital.

It also marked a departure for piers generally, which have tended to be owned unhappily in both the private and public sectors.

We had to ensure that people understood that despite all the good news about the £13M in grants, this last £500,000 was just as critical and that the Pier stood as a symbol for the wider regeneration of the town.

The second vital aspect was to engage a wider community of users as opposed to well-wishers.  Without revenue-generating businesses on top of the pier, the charity will be in danger of being yet another heritage project that costs millions but slowly rusts away because not enough people care enough about it to make use of it.

Over 3,000 people invested in the Pier share issue, with two thirds of them local to Hastings, drawn from all incomes and walks of life.  This was genuine community investment and the sheer number of investors demonstrates the desire people have not just to see the Pier re-opened but to take responsibility themselves for that rejuvenation.

And from the Hastings & St Leonards Observer………

“Finally, it’s now impossible not to feel increasing excitement for the pier, as its new shape emerges literally, from the ashes.

Opening next year, it will be a fantastic testament to the resilience and ambition of the town and its community with our bold new optimistic Pier.”
http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/columnists/shoreditch-by-the-sea-tag-reflects-regeneration-1-6390074

Hastings Independent Press announce new service

“We had feedback that you enjoy our reporting on Hastings Pier and the renovation and rebuilding efforts around it. To make it easier for you to find all related articles, we have created a dedicated page for this at Hastings Pier Progress. All published articles will soon be listed there for your reading pleasure.”

http://hastingsindependentpress.co.uk/category/hastings-pier/

1966 – Triodome, Hastings Embroidery – 2016???

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/condition_and_future_of_the_hast

The Great Hastings Pier Beach Clean

On Friday 31^st October there will be a Beach clean-up,  to clean away the smaller bits of rubble and steal that has fallen off the pier.

If you are free and would like to help out or come to the hub at 10am,

It will finish at 12noon and you can head back to the hub for some hot chocolate/tea/coffee.

This event is for everyone so friends, children and grandchildren all welcome.

New Information Boards – why not view them on your way to The Hub to express your opinions on the Pier’s future direction………

Are you interested in finding out what events are being planned for when the pier re-opens? Do you have your own ideas to share with us?

Date: Tuesday 28th October
Time 2pm - 4pm
Location: The Hub

We would  like to hear your ideas and suggestions before the pier re-opens next year.

Drop in  to join the discussion, share your thoughts about the project’s development and enjoy some refreshments.

Moving along. . .

Construction update–October 2014

The jack-up barge has now successfully completed the scheduled operations and has left the Pier to move on to its next project in Jersey.

It was at the Pier for slightly less than the planned four weeks, despite there being three days when the crane could not be used because of the weather conditions.

During that time the crane was used to safely demolish the section of two storey building which was achieved without any further damage to the structure.  It was also used with a 3.5 tonne grab to remove a lot of the old steelwork that had fallen on to the sea bed.

The other major task that it was needed for was the replacement of the seven columns in the centre of the Ballroom that were destroyed by the storm on 5^th February.

These new columns are now in place with a bracing structure on top which will hold them in place until we are ready to install the new steelwork.

Now that the barge has gone and the steelwork replaced, we are able to continue with the demolition of the Ballroom.

This is a slow process as all the steel has to be cut up into manageable size and transported by trailer to the skips at the front of the Pier.  The masonry of the front section likewise has to be broken up and transported to the skips.

So far the demolition has gone well and is planned to be completed by early November; this will then signal the start of the next phase which is the replacement and repair of the steelwork and decking to the Pier Head.

Elsewhere on the Pier, work continues with the steelwork replacement and the new deck.

The new Pavilion roof is  on, with the zinc covering due to start at the end of the month.

English Heritage on HASTINGS PIER

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/caring/get-involved/take-ownership/case-studies/hastings-pier

Site: Hastings Pier
Type: Victorian Pier
Location: Hastings, East Sussex
Owner: Hastings Pier Charity

Hastings Pier had suffered from years of private under-investment and damage from fire before it was rescued by Hastings Pier Charity and White Rock Trust.  Ownership was achieved by working in partnership with Hastings Borough Council to obtain a compulsory purchase order (CPO). Investment from charitable funders and community shares is enabling the repair of the Victorian structure to create a 'People's Pier'………………….

………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………….

Refurbishment of the pier is now under way and is due to open in the summer of 2015.  £8m of the project budget is being used to repair the ironwork substructure.  The previous layout of the pier was inflexible and over-developed, but the refurbished pier will include a new visitors' centre and a redeveloped pavilion, and will have more flexible outdoor space for visiting circuses, funfairs, festivals and open-air cinema events.  To ensure the pier is entirely self-funding, the Charity is developing partnerships with third-party organisations to create a dynamic and seasonal programme of events.

……………………………………………………………….

The CEO of Hastings Pier Charity, Simon Opie, believes a key to the project's success has been to stay flexible and re-engineer the plan to respond to changing circumstances

Working hard on the pier

Under the Pier

Hello and greetings to today’s overseas visitors to the blog

14/10 @ 02:17 : San Juan, PR

14/10 @ 00:58 : Ireland, IE

13/10 @ 08:52 : Tel Aviv, IL

For those more local, the Jack-Up-Barge is possibly moving on – tomorrow at 4am!  But due to inclement weather so far this week, may  be later, Saturday?

Today is the 948th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.

Wings over the Pier

Hastings Pier Acts of Parliament

• 1861 General Pier and Harbour Act to facilitate the Formation, Management, and Maintenance of Piers and Harbours in Great Britain and Ireland
• 1867 Act for the Construction of a Pier at Hastings (to be built within 3 years)
• 1871 Act for confirming certain Provisional Orders made by the Board of Trade under the General Pier and Harbour Act 1861

      The 1871 Act enabled the following toll charges for Hastings Pier

• For every passenger or other person who shall land on the Company’s Pier from, or embark from it on board of, any Ship, Vessel, Packet or Passage boat for each and every Time any Sum not exceeding…. £0.0.6
• For every person who shall use the said Pier for the Purpose of walking for Exercise, Pleasure or any other Purpose, except for embarking or disembarking for each and every Time any Dum not exceeding…. £0.0.4
• For every Bath or Sedan Chair taken on the Pier, for each and every Time any Sum not exceeding…. £0.0.6
• For every Perambulator, for each and every Time any Sum not exceeding. £0.0.2
• There were additional rates for Passengers Luggage under and over 112 pounds weight.

• 1890 Act to confirm certain Provisional Orders made by the Board of Trade under the General Pier and Harbour Act 1861 (Enabling landing stages)
• 1914 Act to confirm certain Provisional Orders made by the Board of Trade under the General Pier and Harbour Act 1861 (Enabling widening of the Pier)
• 1937 Act to authorise Hastings Pier Company to raise additional capital and for other purposes
• 1960 Act to increase the powers of Hastings Pier Company and for other purposes
• In the late 1950s - nearly half a century after the 1910/11 work - the Pier Company directors realised that they had been acting without the necessary legal powers in erecting these, and all subsequent buildings.
• The original statute allowing the construction of the pier - the 1867 Hastings Pier Act - had only given permission for it to be used as a promenade, with a pavilion and pleasure boat facilities.
• A new act of Parliament had to be obtained in 1960 - the 1960 Hastings Pier Act - extending the company’s powers to cover all buildings, except the pavilion.

 

Update–Jack Up Barge will be around probably until Thursday–or later?

Have your say

Are you interested to find out what events are being planned for when the pier re-opens? Do you have your own ideas?
Date:               Tuesday 28th October
Time                2pm - 4pm
Location:        The Hub

As part of the Hastings Pier Learning Programme, we are developing lots of exciting activities for local community members, schools and visitors.

We have already piloted some of these and have received very valuable feedback.  However, we would also like to hear your own ideas and suggestions before the pier re-opens next year.

 
Drop in and have a chat with our evaluators Sonia and Susan, to join the discussion, share your thoughts about the project’s development and enjoy some refreshments.

(Did you know there used to be a camera obscura on the pier?)

It’s all in the casting

The old balustrade that was removed from the East side has been shot blasted, desalinated, repaired and had six coats of marine quality paint applied.  The West side has been removed and will receive the same treatment.  The process of recasting any damaged railings is being undertaken. (Due to cost these ornate railings will only be at The Front end of the pier).   Casting new sections of the 1915 balustrade is being done by a foundry in Ashford, for Mather and Smith, who are also doing the refurbishment of the balustrade.  This is being done in exactly the same way that was demonstrated at the chocolate engineering family events held in the Hub, the molten cast iron was poured into the sand lined mould.  (At the chocolate engineering event, the molten chocolate was poured into a mould of brown sugar.)

Say Farewell to the Jack Up Barge–probably 11th–12th October

The jack-up barge arrived on 18^th September and has been working continuously since then. The precarious slab on the East side of the Ballroom has been successfully demolished without any further damage to the structure.  The Jack Up Barge has now moved to the West side of the Pier where it is being used to re-instate the columns and beams that were destroyed in the February storm.  It is  not now going to be used for the Visitor Centre piles, so it should be finished by the 11^th/12^th October and will then be setting off to its next assignment in Jersey.

Surreal Pier Art

All lit up - and working all night!

On the grab!

On the move………

But it’s not all about the Jack up Barge

Changing fast! The ballroom silhouette (as at Monday 22.9.2014

This is amazing - and will soon be history!

The Light Show

Getting there - Another pier project work in progress!

Jack Up Barge proceeding fast up the Channel

Best laid plans of mice & men…….

….oft gang awry – but not, we hope, in this case!

The Jack up barge should now be arriving this Thursday evening, it was delayed as there was an electrical issue with the crane.

Jack- up barge operations

The anticipated programme of work is as follows

DEMOLITION

• · On the East side of the ballroom, demolition of high level structures by Best demolition. This will be from two man ‘cage’ suspended from the crane over the structure.
• · Further demolition of loose structures in the area.
• · After approximately 4 days, the barge will re-locate to the West side.
• · It will then continue removing the high level structures to make the whole area safe.
• · When the area is safe, the crane will  be used to pick up the steelwork that collapsed on to the sea bed in the February storm.  The steel will be lifted up on to the Pier where it will be cut to manageable lengths and taken back to the promenade and off the Pier.
• · This will take a further 4 days.

STORM DAMAGE REPAIRS

• · With safe access now possible, the reconstruction of the storm damaged section of the Pier Head can be carried out.
• · There are 7 columns which need to be replaced/ repaired .
• · There is then a lot of new bracing and tie rods to install to hold the new columns in place.
• · This whole operation should take 7 to 10 days

PILING

• · When the work at the Pier Head is completed, the barge will move to the centre of the Pier on the West side, in the area of the new Visitor Centre.
• · There are six piles to be installed.  These are steel tubes which are driven in to the bed by a hammer suspended from the crane.
• · The 3 piles on the west will be completed and the barge will then move around the Pier to the East
• · The further three piles will then be installed.
• · The whole piling operation should only take 3 days.
• During the demolition phase, there will be 24 hour working.  For the other phases it is planned to work a single 12 hour shift.
• The total duration for the barge to be here is  25 days, barring unforeseen circumstances.
  

Please Note - This is the plan but there are many things that could happen to change this.

Coming soon – to a pier near you!

The 120 tonne crane prepares to crawl onto the Jack Up Barge. The barge leg extensions will be added by the crane when it’s on board.

Construction Update

Replacement steelwork and new decking is now substantially completed to the Parade Extension.

The concentration is now on the central spine along the Pier to provide access to the Pier Head.

Work on the Old Pavilion building has started to transform it into a restaurant.   50 new supporting deck beams have been inserted beneath the building.  The building has been stripped out and the internal partitions removed.  Work will now start on replacing the floor structure and altering the outside walls. The roof structure has been exposed and looks to be in a reasonable condition, particularly as it is about 100 years old.  The main roof and the two cupolas will be recovered, probably with zinc.

Pier[?] to Pier

St Leonards Pier to Hastings Pier - 13 took part in the Pier to Pier swim early on Thursday morning last week.

Finances!

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is providing the lion’s share of the grant funding needed to reinvigorate the pier – roughly £11.4 million – and one of the key tasks  to perform is to submit a monthly claim against that grant.  This involves providing details of all the expenditure incurred to date.

As far as construction costs are concerned, the quantity surveyor provides a monthly assessment of the rate of progress on each of the contracts for work on the pier.  The progress is then valued and the contractor is asked to provide an invoice equal to the valuation.

When each invoice is received it is entered into the accounting system and becomes ‘eligible expenditure’ for grant purposes.  Typically the construction industry operates on a 28 day credit cycle, this means that payment for an invoice isn’t due until 28 days after the date of the valuation.

Managing the timing of submission of  HLF claims and  VAT returns ensures that cash flows are not adversely affected by payments to contractors and thus maintains a steady flow of cash into the coffers to meet ongoing commitments.

Opportunity to run the Pier Restaurant…………..

HPC is now seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified operators who would like to tender for the opportunity to partner with Hastings Pier Charity to provide the food and beverage operations on the Pier.

Further information will be supplied to the selected list of operators for tender. Expressions of interest, together with a relevant credentials pitch should be sent to Andy Davies onAndyRDavies@outlook.com

More information at http://www.hpcharity.co.uk/opportunities/food-beverage-opportunities/

A Golden Glow

Turns to Blue within five minutes….

How good is this! Refurbished and reinstalled!

Music on the Pier–History with Andre Martin

Have I the right…..
Come right back!

I remember this….. (alas, not on the pier, far away in Tasmania)

The Honeycombs – Hastings Pier 29th August 1964 by Andre Martin

Newsletter - September 2014

Click here

From the Newsletter:

Forthcoming events for adults
We have a variety of events coming up in September for young and old alike.

As part of Heritage Open Days we have a Walk & Talk on Thursday 11th and repeated on Friday 12th September, both 6pm - 7pm.

As this is the centenary year of the outbreak of World War 1 we'll take a look at the history of the pier in the pre-war period and during the war itself! Then our construction team will transport you 100 years forward for a walk to the pier and an update on  the construction work taking place.

The evening is free but please pre-book by emailing us or phoning 01424 435587.
 
Forthcoming events for families
On Saturday 13th September we have two events happening.

In the Hub drop in to our Mask making workshop from 11am - 3pm and make a sea inspired mask which you can wear along to the Seafood and Wine Festival the following weekend.

Out on the promenade, in front of the pier, we'll be having the first of our 'Science on Sea' shows. Stop by during the day to take a ‘pier’ into the science and engineering behind the reconstruction of the pier with our science supremo Brad Gross.

He'll be there from 11am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 3pm looking for people to help with his experiments and answer your questions.

Both events are free thanks to funding from the HLF and Castle Ward Community First funding respectively so just drop in.

The Chancellor, George Osborne, visits the town ……….

“…..Mr Osborne was asked the question that has been on most people’s lips in Hastings in recent weeks: “Why did the Chancellor and Prime Minister David Cameron visit Eastbourne just days after its devastating pier fire and pledge £2 million in support when Hastings got nothing just days after the blaze on its pier in October 2010?”

In response, he said: “Hastings Pier had been closed since 2006 but it’s opening again next year, which is great news. Hastings has had almost £2 million from the Coastal Communities Fund. I am speaking with MP Amber Rudd and local businesses to see if there is more things we can do to support tourism and specific projects and if there is I am really happy to look at them.
http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/local/chancellor-visit-to-new-centre-1-6268891

“I want both towns to do well. It’s not about choosing between Eastbourne and Hastings.”

Some Pier Facts

Pier’s First Vessel - May 31, 1872
The nearly-finished Hastings Pier was used for the first time by a vessel, when Thomas Brassey’s large yacht Eothen [?], 325 tons, steam-screw, 78 hp, 9-10 knots, tied up at the end. The pier was open to public inspection.

 

Hastings Pier Opens - August 9, 1872
The pier opened on 5 August, the bank holiday.  There was heavy rain. …….Some christened it the “Palace on the Sea”.

 

Pier’s Busiest Day - August 10, 1883
Hastings Pier had its busiest day so far in its 11-year history on Bank Holiday Monday, 6 August, when over 9,400 people passed through the turnstiles.

Pier Landing Stage - May 2, 1890
A big new landing stage on Hastings Pier was opened for steamboat traffic on Thursday 1 May.  The original landing stage was along the east side of the promenade beside the Pavilion. The work of the last ten months had extended this to the end of the pier and then taken in the whole of the pier-head. The staging now ran round both the east and south side of the Pavilion, but not the west, because that was too exposed. The staging was in three levels. About 400-500 tons of greenheart woods had been used, plus130-140 tons of iron. As many as four steamers could use the pier together.

 

Steamboat Prosecution - September 11, 1896
The captain of the Hastings steamer Bonnie Princess, William Hurdman, was charged on 10 September with overloading on 17 August. He sailed from Hastings Pier to Dungeness with 901 passengers, 247 more than allowed. He was fined £10 plus a shilling per head extra.

 

Pier Improvement - February 3, 1899
The Hastings Pier pavilion closed at the end of January for re-roofing and enlargement. It was expected to re-open in mid-May. The pavilion had been open continuously since the pier opened in 1872.

Facts & Figures–August Update

• Almost 40% through the project.
• 40 workers on site, and growing
• 62 of 64 trusses needing replacement on the Parade Extension have been completed as well as around 250 dock beams.
• This amounts to the renewal of more than 1/3rd of the structure.
• 2//3rds of the decking have been renewed.
• Replacing the trusses on the central section has started as has refurbishment of the Bandstand Pavilion
• Watch out for the Jack Up Barge