And so to bed : 21st May 2016

This blog is being put to bed.  It was started because some people, when directed to Facebook and/or Twitter, said they didn't use them.  Asked about blogs, they said "oh yes".  And so the germ of the Peerless Pier Blog was born.

It's main purpose was to chart the reconstruction, sometimes in a somewhat quirky fashion, and to throw in a few facts, nuggets of history, and news of the varying occurrences iin the Hub, the centre for information while the Pier was  not accessible to the public, and the home of many fascinating activities.  I owe a great deal of thanks to the Great Panjandrum himself (seeing as he likes puzzles, what connection does this have with Hastings?) who was generous with both photos and facts.

Two books, one, a personal account  by David Spooner, our retired Project Manager, Saving the People’s Pier: the restoration of Hastings Pier, my story, copiously illustrated with superb photos, is available for £10 from davidspooner48 ”at” btinternet.com and the other, by Steve Peak, is due out in September and is a new and updated edition of his invaluable “Peerless Piers”.  In due course you should find details at http://hastingschronicle.net/books/

The blog will remain as a 'historical' document, for those who like to explore, and the webcam will still show the weather in Hastings whenever it is viewed.

• It was announced today that there will be a new share offer coming very soon, probably next week.

Thank you to all those who have viewed, maybe see you on The Pier.

History Repeats Itself : 21st May 2016

The Opening of the Pier
The Southeastern Advertiser, Saturday August 10, 1872
……….. This is not the place in which to attempt to cast the horoscope of the new Pier, and indeed, if it were, one would scarcely be disposed to take the position of the stars, or, in other words, the unfavourable character of the elements, at the time of what we may call its birth on Monday last, as an omen of the future…………If we had been but fortunate in getting a fine day, Monday would stand out as the brightest red-letter day in our annals………..

Dancing on The Pier : 21st May 2016

Unsung Heroes of the Pier–21st May 2016

Thank You Hastings and . . . . .

You too can enter a world of imagination………..

    

Slight slip up – corrected

Memories Room opens 10 AM, Wednesday 18th May……….

As promised–new things keep appearing

The Guardian’s Sea Change

The greatest symbol of the British seaside’s rise from the ashes is the new pier at Hastings, rebuilt after a long period of disuse and a terrible fire. Its gala reopening ceremony takes place on 21 May. Walking to the far end, drawn by the blue haze of the English channel, one is tempted to peer over the edge and down at the girders, looking for the phoenix that surely roosts there.

In the first fortnight of being open to the public, the pier has already been visited by an estimated 75,000 people.
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/may/14/once-more-on-to-the-beach-how-britains-seaside-towns-bounced-back

Re: A Pier – on the Pier (as forecast by dRMM)

 

Connected World

The Pier has high speed fibre optic broadband and WiFi spots are in The Pavilion Restaurant & Bar and The Deck.

The Public WiFi code is 'sunshine'.

Well, we like it!

An attraction to be proud of
Hastings and St. Leonards Observer
Having visited the newly re-opened Hastings Pier I believe that far from being disappointed, as SA Young wrote (letters April 29), visitors will be ...

Pier was a huge achievement
Hastings and St. Leonards Observer
... that you read here. And do share with your family and friends - so they don't miss out! The HastingsObserver - always the first with your local news.

Huge 'well done' to all involved
Hastings and St. Leonards Observer
Today, I have just returned from my first visit on to the renovated pier and it looked absolutely amazing. The views of Hastings from the end of the pier ...

Our gratitude to pier charity
Hastings and St. Leonards Observer-6 May 2016
Having just returned from a visit to the refurbished pier, we were very impressed by the standard of the work and we feel that the town should ...

Hastings Pier
webgram.co
Lawrie Mullins 2 hour ago. Hastings Pier After the Storm ... Sandy Harmer 2016-05-06. All that space somehow makes you appreciate the pier more.

“I know people say it’s not what they expected,” she said as seagulls wheeled in the blue sky above her. “It’s modern. But I really like it. I love the idea of open space. I love to sit on a bench and look at the sea.” (A local resident, talking to a reporter)

What plonker called Our Pier "The Plank"?

How many planks make up the Pier, Mr. Walker?
Oh, that's right, 80,000 metres of deck wood,  some plank!

Not to mention half a million galvanised nuts bolts and washers, half a million stainless steel deck screws, 3 gold deck screws, 3,000 tonnes new steel.........

And "the road to the sea is a pure delight".

Pictures paint a thousand words……

https://sixpixx.wordpress.com/2016/05/01/hastings-pier-is-all-about-space/

Let it rain…..

Who cares?

We’ve a pier, with stairs

And things

And bunting on strings.

And lots of people there

Taking the air,

And things……

(With apologies to A A Milne, who started the train (pun intended) of thought

The Carousel prediction materialises–Serendipity

The above is an early illustration from the Architects’, dRMM, proposals for the Pier.
Some time later, HPC receives a phone call – you know that Carousel on your plans?

Yes?

Wel, it belongs to us….. (uneasy moment in the HPC office) Would you like it on your pier?

And so it came to be

Heritage Weekend - May 28th & 2016 from 11:00 am

Heritage interpretation volunteers and members of the Pier’s volunteer archive group will be on hand in The Deck’s new heritage space – the Memories Room - to assist visitors with the new exhibits and to share their knowledge of the history of Hastings Pier.

Come along and try out the new multi touch tables.  Explore the Pier’s Digital Memory – an online archive with free use computers.

Bring along your own photos to be added to the Pier’s online archive, the Digital Memory.

Learn about the history of the pier through the new Conversation Cabinets display.

Hastings Pier’s Digital Memory has been created thanks to over 2 years of work by a dedicated team of archive volunteers.

Taking place from 11am until 3pm on each day