Eastbourne: the Pier

In the 150-plus years since it first opened in 1872, the iconic Pier in the East Sussex seaside town of Eastbourne has been subject to the whims of fate. Just five years after it opened, the Pier structure at the beach end had to be rebuilt after it was destroyed by the waves of a powerful storm, and there have been numerous other calamitous events: an exploding mine caused major damage in 1942, a fire destroyed the theatre in 1970, and the aftermath of a hurricane wrecked the landing stage in 1987. The most catastrophic event in recent years was undoubtedly the huge fire in July 2014, which reduced the arcade structure at the landward end of the Pier to a scorched and blackened metal skeleton. 

I first saw Eastbourne Pier in August 2014, not long after that fire, and, not surprisingly, the entire pier was fenced off, its future at that stage uncertain. Though the fire damage was limited to approximately one third of the structure, and the remaining two thirds appeared not to have suffered severe structural damage, the logistics and financing of any rebuild were to prove extremely challenging. 

By the time of my next visit to Eastbourne in May 2017, the Pier had been bought by Sheikh Abid Gulzar and the process of restoring the Pier to its former glory had begun. The fire damaged arcade structure had been removed, and the landward end of the Pier repaired to the extent that people could once again access the undamaged sections at the seaward end.

Though I’m not someone who would ever patronise the facilities offered by Eastbourne Pier, I definitely like to see structures like this being retained and restored for their historic value, and for the entertainment of those who do enjoy such amusements and frequent its bars and restaurants. So I was delighted to take a stroll around the Pier during a visit to Eastbourne earlier this month, though disappointed to see many of its shops closed and/or empty, and its buildings looking run down in some areas. Sheikh Abid Gulzar appears to be an entrepreneur with interests in a multitude of businesses; I hope that doesn’t mean he will neglect his responsibilities to the maintenance and continued viability of Eastbourne Pier.