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Eastbourne Pier is currently burning:
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This is the third Sussex pier in flames this century - Hastings Pier was almost entirely destroyed by fire in 2010 and West Pier in Brighton burned down in 2003 - and very sad to see. Hopefully they can save it.
The pier was built in the 1870s and, according to the Piers Society, previously had a theatre and a "camera obscura" built on it.
I cross my fingers for the firemen action!
How very sad. I have happy memories of the pier from our many visits when I was a child. Our "local" pier at Weston Super Mare burned a few years back, but it was rebuilt and is more popular now than ever. Hopefully the same will be said about Eastbourne in years to come.
On the plus side this time, it looks like it's only the mid-pier buildings that are affected - touch wood the main structure at the end of the pier seems to be unscathed, making a rebuild significantly less problematic and more likely.
I will keep my fingers crossed that the outcome may turn out as well as Weston pier Dave.
Mrs K. was very upset at the time as she spent many of her childhood holidays at Weston.
Tonight's BBC News sounded hopeful that it could be saved.
Rob.
For a moment I thought that was Worthing Pier. Very sad to see that up in flames - hopefully they can get it out soon and also have the money to restore it to its glory.
:( So sad to see any historical landmark destroyed.
No doubt many, many folk have great memories of visits in their childhood & early years.
Still damping down this morning - the fire took out the amusement arcade (former ballroom) and one of the small buildings beside it to the seaward side, about one third of the 1000' pier has been severely damaged.
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Better result than it might have been then Dave.
I hope the structural damage is not too severe.
Rob.
At least the local news this morning is saying that the main structure looks relatively unscathed - lets hope that proves to be the case.
That hurts. These are special buildings for Britain, always something extra special on seaside holidays. :cool: It is about families, childhood holidays, grand parents. Between the gaps in the boards you can look down and see the sea (if it is in), which can be a bit unnerving!! In the buildings there are often amusement arcades, with slot machines and colourful fair-ground attractions, small rides, helter-skelters (spiral slides), terrible, tacky, cheap and gaudy objects to win and look at.
Do the grand Belgian piers burn down too? Do you have long piers with entertainment on them where you come from?
Before we get too off topic ...how were they used in wartime? And on the model aeroplane side: there was sometimes a red Dr.I small machine that would jig up and down, which you could sit a child in. :fokker:: Now that is aerodrome enough to warrant talking about piers!!
They thought about demolishing this one to deny its use to the enemy during the Second World War, but in the end part of the decking was removed and machine guns were installed in the theatre at the end providing a useful point from where to repel any attempted enemy landings and a Bofors anti-aircraft gun was sited midway along it.
With those old building you never know what they used. Some things would help the fire more than hinder it. Back in WWII there was a circus tent fire in Connecticut and they used kerosene to water proof the tents but when it caught fire it went up fast.
One that sticks with me is Leeds library, which was gutted and refurbished around about the year 2000 - they stripped out a worryingly large amount of live wiring, which had never been replaced since the building was first wired up, and had been insulated with waxed paper, although after 100 years or so its insulating properties were, umm, slightly compromised....
Given how often those sort of piers burned back'n'th'day, I'm surprised any of them lasted this long....