During my trial and tribulation of trips to the Tower – should
be easy really … usually they just transport you there! One of my failed rail journeys when the
signalling had gone haywire …
 |
| What happened to me? |
… I decided instead a walk to the pier on a sunnyish day to ‘inspect’
the damage, have a coffee and see what was happening, which offered more
promise than hanging around at the train station.
 |
| This is how I'm meant to look - my Victorian lion embellishment blazing a trail - no not that burning one! |
The Pier has to an extent re-opened … the burnt shell is
cordoned off – but they can work from the underneath – and the walkways let us
view the damage ...
 |
| Still Fishing! |
... while getting to the end of the pier to fish should we wish,
to have tea and cakes, visit the nightclub (no thanks), see the Camera Obscura
(another day), or do a little gift shopping in the tourist trap are now possible.
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| Gifts ... I did walk round and found a couple of cards .. just what I needed! |
It is over 4 months since the pier caught fire … they
think that it was arson – but are still working on the case …
 |
| 30 July 2014 |
... however on talking to
one of the waitresses in the tea-shop … she said it was all very orderly and
definitely not dangerous – until the ‘Blue Room’ actually caught fire.
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| Nuts, fruits, Turkish and Greek treats - one of the summer kiosks on the sea front |
The ‘Blue Room’ was originally a dance hall, before being
turned into the amusement arcade – the ‘popular
addition’ to piers after the War.
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| The Ironwork to be dismantled during November and December |
Two enormous cranes, one on each side of the pier, will move
into place on the beach towards the end of the month to dismantle the Victorian
iron shell, scheduled for completion by Christmas.
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| Cheerful summer planting with some baskets from one of the stall holders - not normally seen at the front |
Then, once the promised funding is in place, the new building
will be constructed – this may be on two floors, though the façade has to be
similar to the original structure – as it was a Grade II* listed building.
So I’ve included some photos from early September and recently
at the end of October … next instalment will be when it’s repaired and open again
for business …
 |
| One of my iphone photos appearing in my tidal zone post in April ... the Blue Room is hardly visible here - the Camera Obscura stands out |
The carpet gardens are a draw to the seafront, while the
promenades offer tarmac walks, or stretches on to our pebbly beach …
This is the lower tidal zone and so is sandy ... higher up it is pebbly protecting the sea-front against the winter storms and high tides ...
You can see our tidal zones and the beach front in my Z post
from this year’s A-Z Challenge: Aspects of British …
Link to when the pier burnt down - Conflagration ...
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
52 comments:
I love that shot of all those baskets! Have a great weekend, Hilary :)
I love being on the waterfront. I would have a great time looking into shops and watching the crowd.
Glad they are repairing all the damage and much of it is open for business again.
What a big job of repair, but eventually it will be as good as new...maybe better!
Great posting, Hilary and I love the colours in the basket shot. I'm busy working of my novel after focusing all year on short stories. Have a great week.
It's such a shame to see old structures gone like that, particularly if it was arson. I'm sure the new pier will still be a nice landmark and place to visit.
Unfortunately a lot of the piers in North Carolina are not being repaired. Bogue Inlet Pier was repaired after the last hurricane but its neighbours no long exist. So I am glad to see this pier is being repaired. Don't think I ever visited Eastbourne. Brighton a couple of times. The fishermen fish no matter what.
glad they are rebuilding.
I tell you I hope they get who did it - that was so beautiful - and great history - I hope they do rebuild it!
Sad to see such beautiful, serene places destroyed by fire. When I lived near the ocean, here in So. Cal., a restaurant on the pier caught on fire and destroyed everything. It took years for the repair work, but it's done, everything re-opened. Gorgeous places in your photos, Hilary, as far as the eye can see.
Beautiful post and very interesting information. Thanks.
Greetings from London.
I love seeing those coastal shots, and ongoing changes. That is life after all, always changing, but too bad there had to be a fire. Old buildings sometimes can't handle the new load of electricity or other modern changes.
Thanks for sharing some of the history with us!
Hi Hilary. I'd love to be taking tea or coffee on the pier today. We are having a heatwave here--40C. Keeping those G20 delegates hot under the collar.
Denise :0
Such a terrible fire, but let's hope the rebuild is even better than it was before.
Hello Hilary. I think for many British people, a pier holds a lot of nostalgic memories. As more and more Victorian piers fall into disrepair (or are gutted by fire) each one seems to be a break with a fondly remembered past. I have many memories walking with my parents along Southend pier and getting the train back along it's one-and-a-quarter mile length!
I think Eastbourne is an often overlooked gem on our south coast.
CLICK HERE for Bazza’s fabulous Blog ‘To Discover Ice’
@ Keith - yes the baskets were certainly cheerful and brought in by Indian traders - seizing an opportunity, I suspect ...
@ OOTP - it can be beautiful .. it's quite a big bay ... and crowd watching is always fun ... then you could fish!
@ Karen - it is wonderful having it on our doorstep ...
@ Alex - yes .. thankfully only a 1/3 of it was damaged and the repairs are on track ...
@ Betsy - I hope it will be better .. amusement arcades could be done away with?! But it will be interesting to see how it turns out ..
@ Paula - good to see you ... and good luck with the novel ..
@ Inger - it is sad to see it going up in smoke - it may have been an accident, or arson ...
Certainly the destruction has brought people in ... and no doubt the new pier will encourage them back ...
@ Jo - our piers get destroyed by fire - Hastings was badly damaged, but is scheduled for repair, and the west pier in Brighton was fire damage, then really badly storm damaged in recent years .. so that one won't be repaired - and yes the fishermen fish no matter what ...
@ TWG - yes it's good that they're rebuilding ..
@ Sandie - I suspect they won't find the perpetrators ... but who knows. They will rebuild it though ...
@ Silvia - we too have fires in restaurants on piers ... and the storms damage them .. I hope it will be beautifully repaired ..
Pevensey Bay as it is known - Eastbourne at the west side and Hastings on the easterly end ... is quite a wide bay ... it can give us glorious scenic views ...
@ A Cuban from London town - good to see you .. and glad you enjoyed it ...
@ DG - yes as you say life is life .. and some say 100+ years is a good length to be around. I think they're thinking it was an illegal cigarette - it doesn't appear to be wiring ...
@ Denise - well that would be huge fun sharing some tea-time treats with you ...
I see you've sent someone home early - were you all bullying him? Poor little despot ...
40 degC .. sweltering .. I'd be dripping quietly ...! So the Pier sounds a good idea ... back to normal soon - as the G20 band sweeps out of town ...
@ Juliet - The rebuild will I'm sure give us more and it will be up-to-date in a Victorian style shell ...
@ Bazza - I'd like to visit Southend pier sometime .. I think the only pier I remember from my youth was Hastings Pier, as my father's mother moved nearby.
Piers are nostalgic memories aren't they .. but care seems to be taken with them now (as far as is possible) ... Eastbourne isn't very long .. but has the Camera Obscura - so yes it is a real gem ...
Love to do the Southend walk and then get the train back ... sounds a good way to see the pier ... it is long isn't it ..
Cheers to you all ... Hilary
It's so good to see it being repaired. Piers are a fantastic link to the past - it's so easy to imagine our grandparents 'courting' in these lovely places :-)
Goodness, who would set fire to a pier??? Hopefully they'll catch the one who did it. I always enjoy journeying with you on your explorations, Hillary!
Such a lot of damage. It would sure be nice if it turned out to NOT be arson (an act that is so senseless). Nevertheless, the damage is surely done. Wishing a return to better than ever when it's all said and done.
Always enjoy your photos and snippets -- you definitely get around.
Interesting post... thanks for sharing this information. A nice selection of shots to go with it!
Hilary, I told you I'd work on a blog post about the preservation of the oceans but I think it will encompass more than just the oceans... I'm working on it now...
Stay well,
Julia
I didn't know this had burnt down, Hilary. We've had a couple of areas ravaged by fire in the past few years and there's nothing as satisfying as seeing it slowly rise from the ashes.
I have a great yen to come and live at the seaside instead of the hills. It would certainly make walking easier and there’s all that fresh air being blown in on the wind.
Your photos are all very lovely! I particularly like the lion, the flowers, and the beach in the last one. :)
@ Annalisa - yes we can see our history at the seaside and on the piers ... I'm glad it's being repaired - apparently quite quickly ...
@ Karen - I suspect it was a mistake, but an illegal mistake ... smoking inside and trying to hide it.
Glad you've enjoyed the mini tour of Eastbourne pier ...
@ Milo - they're not all my photos - but I'm glad you enjoy my selections to match my posts ..
@ Julia - just something that needed to be updated .. and glad you enjoyed the photos.
Yes - the Preservation of the Oceans - when you can ... I often find out what I want to write about is so detailed .. it is often awaiting more attention ... I know you'll think it through properly and give us valuable thoughts and ideas ...
@ Talon - we had a major conflagration in the summer - could be seen for miles around ... fire is really damaging and sad that things are destroyed through arson ... but it is good when they can be rebuilt - just a waste of money and time ...
@ Friko - remember we have the Downs! which go up and down too .. but it isn't as hilly as your Shropshire area ...
... and it can be windy and very fresh ... but walking is easier ....
@ Trisha - many thanks .. the beach scene for the A-Z was a lucky day to visit Eastbourne seafront .. the tide was right out (very low) ...
Thanks everyone ... I'll have to go down and see the cranes working as they dismantle the iron shell .. cheers Hilary
Thanks for capturing the place on the mend. There's just something about the water.
I love how when disaster hits, the next day repair begins.
What nice pictures. Thank you for sharing. I especially loved the one with the baskets. I am glad they are rebuilding!
I like the Turkish and Greek treats kiosk.....
Nice, pictures, as always. As to why people feel the need to destroy things, I will never know.
I really enjoyed your posts last year in the A to Z. Shame about the fire and I really don't like the arcades on all the piers.
It was so nice to see your comment on my blog this morning. Glad to be back and visiting again. It's a pity to see the charred remains of a wonderful structure. I hope the authorities catch the person(s) who did it if it was arson. Maybe instead of putting them in jail, they should be put to work rebuilding the place, wearing a sign that says "I did this!"
@ Theresa - it's good to see what's happening ... and I needed to get down to find out. I love the seaside - having spent many a year in Cornwall .. always draws me in ...
@ Teresa - actually in this instance it was about like that .. the Prime Minister was on the doorstep straight away ... surprisingly! It is slowly getting sorted out ...
@ Paula - glad you enjoyed the photos .. and the baskets they were very cheerful that day ... and yes they are rebuilding ...
@ Beste - I thought you might comment on the Turkish and Greek treats!! The looked good, but I resisted ...
@ Joy - glad you enjoy the pictures - thank you. I don't know .. I suspect it was an illegal mistake and not intentionally arson .... but who knows!
@ Susan - thanks .. so pleased you enjoyed the A-Z on Aspects of the British Coasts .. I enjoyed writing them up ..
Like you I can completely miss out the arcades .. but the piers are making comebacks .. and our has garnered a lot of attention since the fire .. so the refurbishment will bring people back ..
@ W2W - thanks so much - it was good to see you posting again ...
I don't know if they'll ever find out who did it ... but I like your idea of them working on rebuilding the place with a sign saying "I did this" ...
Cheers - it is a pity about the fire, but we get a new structure and new businesses inside, which I hope will be different to the norm ... the ever hopeful Hilary!!
The sight of the sea is always a treat to me, despite I'm a fire dragon. But I didn't start that fire! Good they are fixing the damage. Dragon Hugs!
I remember when a popular pier burned back in California. It was so sad and it took so long to rebuild and get everything back up to stuff.
This would be a lovely place to visit. I hope the new building is awesome.
Greetings human, Hilary,
I'm a bit bleary-eyed at the crazy time of gone four thirty in the morning. I shall soon have to take my human, Gary, for a walk.
Gary told me about staying in a seaside caravan when he was a very little boy. He told me that the amusement park at the pier, wherever he was, had burnt down. Not sure where he means. It would have been in the late 1950's.
Thank you for another fascinating, informative pawst, my kind human friend.
Pawsitive wishes,
Penny :)
Hi Hilary, It's great that they're in the process of preparing all of the damage. The colorful baskets and flowers look so pretty!
Julie
What ashame that such a beautiful place caught fire Nice pier Love these nuts and Turkish treats mmm I just had some Turkish fruit yesterday. Love the flowers and baskets as well
Oh, I am happy to have news (and good once) of "my" beloved Pier !! Remember when we came back from Kipling's house and Ann told us the Pier was on fire ?? What a shock ! I hope it will be completely ready when I come next year !!
@ Al - well I'm sure dragons enjoy swimming in the sea too .. no I don't think your fiery breath started the fire - we'd have lost a lot more!
@ Holly - some of our piers stay forlornly left .. but this was in the middle of the pier - and thankfully the rest avoided being burnt.
@ Donna - it will be lovely to see when it's rebuilt ..
@ Penny/Gary .. I hope you got outside soon after that and had your walk. I'd have loved to have stayed in a caravan as a kid .. but also the loss of the amusement park must have been sad for the holidaying kids ...
@ Julie - yes it is good to know reparations are underway .. and the carpet gardens always look good - they're the focal point of the front - apart from the sea!!
@ Marja - it was a shock coming back and see the pall of smoke over the town. The nuts and Turkish treats looked good .. but the front looked cheerful with the baskets and flowers ...
@ Gattina - I do remember coming back from Batemans and being met by Ann letting us know about the fire ... it was a shock ... and it should be ready for your next visit ..
Thanks everyone - all the best Hilary
It looks like such a beautiful and magical place. I can't imagine someone wanting to burn it down. You are so lucky to look at those seaside views regularly.
Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words.
I've never heard that term "carpet garden". It fits perfectly and they are so pretty in the photo. Thanks so much for visiting my site, Hilary, I think you are the only one from my serious blogging days that still returns to say hello. I appreciate you and wish you well always!
That's terrible it burned. I hope they complete it in time for Christmas.
Looks like there will be a positive end to this tragedy-- hope the reconstruction happens soon. Lovely photos.
@ Murees - I don't think our seaside views can match yours and its Table Mountain .. good to see you and know things are easing ..
@ Scarlett - it seems to be a common phrase here for our Parks and Gardens' plantings .. and they are pretty.
I enjoy visiting your blog and it was lovely meeting you with Knox and your daughters last year ..
@ Diane - these things happen unfortunately ... I suspect it was inadvertent arson .. but it'll be ready by next Summer I hope, they're dismantling the ruin before Christmas.
@ Damyanti - yes I think we're lucky that the damage was bad, but confined and it will be restored ..
Thanks to you all .. cheers Hilary
How sad that someone would set fire to the place. Happy to hear about the rebuilding!
I love going on these excursions with you, Hilary, and always imagine sitting with you, having tea and cakes.
How sad that it caught fire! I'm glad they are rebuilding it.
So sorry your pier burned. I'm happy that the repair isn't taking too long. I like your jaunts!
Love that lion on the pier, and I think sometimes burning down the old is good. We need new and we don't always find the motivation to get there until after a disaster.
Unleashing the Dreamworld
@ Deniz - I know .. it was a shock to us locals .. but it looks like it'll be up and running again by next summer.
@ Lynn - that's lovely .. thank you - it's a pleasure to have friends sharing my day ...
@ Sherry - yes me too .. and the town certainly is happy ..
@ Carol - glad you enjoy my jaunts ... it's always good to have company along ...
@ Crystal - yes - the lion was a fun find and I'm glad they'd given him a paint job ...
Arson is perhaps not the right way - but who knows .. we shall find out next year ...
Cheers to you all - thanks and I'd love to have you all along sharing my journeys with me .. Hilary
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