Seaside piers

The sad news that the pier at Fleetwood has succumbed to a fire, hot (sorry) on the heels of the destruction of the pier at Weston-super-Mare made me think about my favourite piers around the UK. So, here goes my Top Ten.

1. Eastbourne Pier. A simple choice really. The reasons are obvious, the fact that I saw it almost everyday of my life until the age of 22, the Blue Room and ‘Dixieland’. Also the home of the Eastbourne Birdman competition.
2. Walton-on-the-Naize Pier. Complete with low brow bowling lanes and shoddy ghost train, the pier at Walton even has a lifeboat moored at the end. As well as a Dotto train that trundles aimlessly to the end of the pier for no apparent reason.
3. Hastings Pier. The venue for numerous quality gigs in my youth, not least The clash, The Slits, Gang of Four, The Banshees and The Teenbeats (oh yes!).
4. Weston-Super-Mare Pier. With the tide out and the sun shining had one of the best games of beach cricket ever in its shadow.
5. Southend Pier. It’s very long, very long indeed.
6. Blackpool Piers. The entertainment capital of the world needs a good pier and it has got three! Ideal place to eat your chips and gravy and to blow away any crushing hangovers bought about by getting lashed up with members of the Glasgow East Militant Tendency.
7. Brighton West Pier. You are Kolly Kibber and I claim my five pounds.
8. Brighton Palace Pier. Mods v Rockers, dodgems and The Jam’s last stand.
9. Wigan Pier. At the end of a very long road, just ask Mr Eric Arthur Blair.
10. Clacton Pier. Another top mod hangout.