South Parade Pier

History

Early history

The history of the pier has been eventful; like many UK piers. Construction started in 1878 and was officially opened on 26 July 1879. The pier's pavilion was destroyed by fire on 19 July 1904. The pier was then sold to the Portsmouth corporation for £10,782. The pier officially reopened 12 August 1908. In 1914 in an attempt to improve the financial prospects of Seaview Chain Pier the Seaview steam packet company was formed and began running a service between Seaview Chain Pier and South Parade Pier. The service came a halt in September 1914 and was formally prevented from further running by the Admiralty in 1915.

Mid 20th century

It was partly dismantled during the Second World War in an attempt to hinder any invasion.

On June 11, 1974, during shooting of the film Tommy, the pier caught fire. Around 400 visitors plus film extras had to run for safety, with some jumping into the sea to escape the flames. The film crew were situated in a dance hall in the middle of the pier when drummer Joe Nicholls, who had to abandon his drum kit, noticed black polythene coating over the windows. The majority of people on the pier at the time were extras for the film, while Nicholls noted that the evacuation was relatively ordinary, with only a small scramble towards the end. Around half the seaward end of the pier was destroyed, including the loss of the ballroom and a children's playground. One theory for the cause was due to arc lights overheating, while other sources noted that smoke canisters were used and plastic sheeting caught fire, with the flames, which could be seen from around 10 miles away, quickly engulfing the wooden ballroom structure.

In the 1980s the pier's Gaiety and Albert ballrooms were used several times a week for discos organised by Portsmouth Polytechnic students. The pier appeared in an episode of Mr. Bean entitled Mind the Baby, Mr. Bean.

21st century

The Pier was sold to three businessmen in 2010, who pledged to restore it to its former glory. The iconic pier is now owned by Frederick Nash, director of Hampshire property firm Matchams South Coast, and partners Tony Marshall, a London lawyer, and Cambridgeshire stud farm proprietor David Moore.

Refurbishment and reopening

The deck was closed to the general public due to health and safety concerns in April 2012. Limited access was granted to people fishing, but access was withdrawn for all other potential users. At the beginning of November the pier was completely closed and fenced off by Portsmouth City Council as it was a danger to the public. A couple of days later the council reopened the front of the pier, which included part of the arcade and other bits which are on land.

In December 2012, an attempt to sell the pier at auction failed. Parts of the boat deck at the end of South Parade Pier broke off and washed up on Southsea beach after being battered by bad weather on the night of 5 February 2014. Shops that face the South Parade reopened in April 2015. The pier was purchased by South Parade Pier Limited in 2014, who in June 2015 submitted plans to the council to bring the pier back into use as a music venue and as a mooring for boats. By this time, 95% of the structural repair work had been completed, to shortly be followed by building refurbishment.

The Pier was finally repaired and reopened on 14 April 2017 with a refurbished amusement arcade and a cafe. Deep Blue Restaurants opened in the Summer in the former Albert Tavern building. The pier is now run by the South Parade trust which aims to acquire and improve, sustain and develop the property and business of South Parade Pier.

In July 2019, a Funfair named "Kidz Island" was opened on the pier. In November 2019, it was confirmed that Richard Cadell had signed a deal to keep the Funfair on the Pier under a 15-year licence. The final restoration works completed in November 2019 with the opening of a £200,000 rebuilt boat deck, the former being removed in 2014 due to storms.

Kidz Island attractions

Current

Former

References

Citations

Sources

References

1. (5 June 2015). "Southsea South Parade". National Piers Society.
2. (12 June 1974). "400 flee pier fire during filming". Daily Telegraph.
3. (12 June 1974). "200 flee as pier blazes". The Birmingham Post.
4. (12 December 2012). "Southsea's South Parade Pier fails to sell at auction". BBC News.
5. (3 March 2014). "Portsmouth City Council Flood Update". Portsmouth City Council.
6. (4 June 2015). "Vision for the future of Southsea's South Parade Pier revealed". BBC News.
7. (13 November 2019). "Sooty signs contract for permanent funfair on Southsea's South Parade Pier". Portsmouth - The News.
8. Hope Mckellar. (6 November 2019). "South Parade Pier completes last step in reopening after opening of new boat deck". Portsmouth - The News.