Wednesday 1 July 2009

Pier review.

Staring at the sea...
Round up of the ones we’ve seen so far.
Swannage pier: rating 8/10
Style: Victorian/Edwardian(recently restored)
Cost: Entrance fee at some times of the day.
Attractions: pier, recently restored paid in part by hundreds of plagues to locals in the piers planks, nice display of old gaming machines you can play, people scuba diving & fishing, nice multi-height bit at the end, plenty of seats, some shade. Sadly no café at the end of the pier but you could carry a tea from the museum/shop I suppose.
Ideal for: trysts, moody introspection and sullen fishing.

Bournemouth: 7/10
Style:1950’s (?)with modern bits.
Cost:10 bob entrance fee.
Attractions: Small kid’s rides at the end. The amusements in front of the entrance where ok although there was only 2p’s and no tat in the penny falls!
Has a café/restaurant in modern dark wood cream walls latte friendly style but no shaded seating for drinking outdoors but does have free wi-fi. The views along the coast are excellent.
Ideal for: sun worshipping retired types perhaps with grandchildren to entertain.


Clacton (formerly clapton!): 9/10
Style: Edwardian Moorishly domed frontage with corrugated sheds and cafes behind the facade.
Cost : Free
Attractions: Excellent undercover amusements and rides. Plenty of tat in the penny falls and supposedly a “sooty and sweep” animatronics display.Outdoor rides for teenagers to scream on. Excellent pier end café that sold chips and little packet of biscuits etc with panoramic steamed up views of the endless briny nothingness that is the North Sea.

Ideal for: loud parties of teenagers, nice strolling couples in rain hoods and car coats, close to tears couples having “a moment”, daft types like me who like peeling corrugated iron anyone really except people who get excited about new ranges of food at M&S or anyone who knows the model number of their pressure washer .

8 comments:

Mondo said...

Southend has the world's longest at one mile and a third, although there's not much at the end..

Brighton is quite good and where they filmed Carry On At Your Convenience

Southwold is always worth a visit..

Did you know Clacton Pier's address is 1, North Sea..

BLTP said...

PM: I took Brighton pier as a given! Clacton pier is fast becoming a favourite especially as I can now send it a postcard with ease! We are mos def up for southend, shame it got singed again recently.
Now about this "on sea" business have you had a look at a map lately...

ally. said...

i'll have you know i'm very fond of our pressure washer. it's a huge hulking killing machine. but i don't know the serial number..

ps
i know clapton is probly getting a bit of olympic spill over but i never knew it had a pier. is it into the river lea?

BLTP said...

ally: oops!

Cocktails said...

Clacton sounds like a very possible day out. It's in Essex isn't it...?

BLTP said...

C&M: Yes, it is in Essex. It wasn't great for pubs may be worth checking on line for somewhere to drink if that's your bag.

Cocktails said...

What are you suggesting BLTP?! I don't just swan around the country drinking all the time you know!

BLTP said...

It was just in case you need to pop in to use their fascilities obviously :)