Oh Dear! No Pier!...

venue:   West Pier & i360 review date:   Sunday, 29 December 2002 photos & words by:   Sam Milford [ intro | page 1 ]

review

Brighton beach makes international news for the second time this year, as the Grade I listed West Pier crumbles into the stormy sea.

At about 9am on Sunday morning, the centre section of the pier gave way and fell into the raging waves. Thousands of pieces of the pier are still being washed up, days later. The cleanup operation has been speedy, as everyone piles down to the shoreline to claim their own piece of history.

Text-messages of sympathy have flooded in to the REALBrighton office and although there are unlikely to be floral tributes for this one, a tear or two has been shed...

TEXT MESSAGES RECIEVED
"Oh exciting news! A bit of the West Pier has collapsed... Now not only is my house toasted, the view's buggered too!" bumblebee
"Oh Dear. No Pier." Wilma's mum
"aww, down at the west pier. Feel quite sad!" Big T
"Is it true?? Had many a gratuitous encounter under it!" anon
"Idea for story on REALBrighton: West Peir collapses!" Glyn
"Brighton pier makes International news! Heard it on breaking news here in Oman when it happened!" Ali

main photos view all 16 photos

click to view all 16 photos

and there's more...

		That's all, folks. The curtains close on the the West Pier's final performance. With a last pyrotechnic sigh, smouldering wet ash filled the air and what little was left of the pier fell into the swirling sea. That's all, folks. view review

about West Pier & i360

Love it or loathe it, the West Pier is still here. Just. Brightoners (and Hove-ers) have long got used to seeing the crumbling wreck disintegrating into the choppy waters. Over the last couple of years the demise of the Grade I listed building has been more spectacular than usual... Click for more info and complete listings for West Pier & i360