A "WORTHY" WINNER!
Historic Sussex pier wins prestige award

WORTHING pier in West Sussex has been voted PIER OF THE YEAR 2006 by the members of the National Piers Society. SALTBURN, the only remaining pier in Yorkshire, came second, and SOUTHEND, the world’s longest pier, third. Twenty-three other piers, including two in South America, were nominated in the annual poll of the Society’s 600 members. The award will be presented during the Society’s Annual General Meeting in Weston-super-Mare on 13 May.

Worthing pier opened in 1862. Kiosks and a pavilion were added in the 1880s. Entertainments included a pier orchestra, rollerskating and even blindfold boxing! Its landing stage was much used by steamers such as the Worthing Belle, the pier’s star attraction until 1913. But that same year a storm cut the pier in two, leaving the southern pavilion stranded out at sea. Within a year the structure had been repaired and was reopened by the Lord Mayor of London. After the First World War the pier was purchased by Worthing Borough Council, which still operates it. The shore-end Pavilion Theatre opened in 1926. Disaster struck again in 1933, when a fire destroyed the seaward building. Within two years a new pavilion, described as the suntrap of the South Coast, opened its doors. Like others Worthing pier was “sectioned” (cut in half) at the beginning of World War II to stop enemy landings, and did not fully reopen until April 1949. Amenities today include a fully equipped theatre, cafeteria, amusement arcade and nightclub, and the landing stage still welcomes the Waverley paddle steamer every summer.

Worthing’s Assistant Director for Leisure & Cultural Services John Thorpe said: “This award acknowledges the hard work and investment the Council puts into maintaining the pier. We will use it to raise the profile of this fantastic facility”.

Gavin Henderson, President of the National Piers Society, commented: “Having begun my professional life playing there in the last surviving municipal orchestra, I am delighted that Worthing should be voted Pier Of The Year 2006.”

The PIER OF THE YEAR Award was instituted after the success of Year Of The Pier in 1996 and has been won by Eastbourne (1997), Brighton Palace (1998), Clevedon (1999), Cromer (2000), Weston-super-Mare Grand (2001), Southwold (2002), Southport (2003), Blackpool North (2004) and Llandudno (2005).

Press Enquiries: Wendy Knight (Worthing Borough Council) tel. 01903 221017