inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Station officer Ron Kirkwood of East Sussex fire brigade said: "We have had a report that people were seen on the pier before the blaze broke out. It's very sad but it was always going to happen. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Stephen Penrice was working on Eastbourne Pier. Brighton drinkers warned of sea dangers after three deaths [16] On 26 November 1944, a Royal Air Force Hawker Typhoon fighter hit the pier, crashing onto the beach. [11][12], By the early 20th century, the earlier priority of good sea air on the pier had been replaced with a desire for public entertainment. The pier reached its peak attendance at this time, with 2 million visitors between 1918 and 1919. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. The blaze broke out at around 9.45pm tonight, Friday, October 30. [17], The concert hall was converted into a tea room and the theatre redesigned as a restaurant in the early 1950s. He said on Friday afternoon: "It is expected that the West Pier will continue to smoulder for some considerable time and it is not currently possible to place fire crews on the pier due to dangerous state of the structure.". The blackened frame has become a much photographed Brighton landmark. Something went wrong. Brighton pier fire hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy Also remarkably, two firefighters were injured jumping from abuilding to escape the rife range bullets that were spontaneously firingin the heat. More than 60 firefighters bravely tackled the fire as it raged throughout the day, with some even taking to the seas to douse the flames from on board an RNLI lifeboat. It was designed by Eugenius Birch and opened in 1866. The decline of the pier to its present ruinous state is the subject of the song "The West Pier" which features on the 2009 album, Gypsyhead, by Brighton-born Dogan Mehmet. The fire burned east of Brea Boulevard and spread north, away from nearby homes, OCFA Capt. Crowds of onlookers remained at the scene after the fire was brought under control, many taking photographs. [34], In 2015, Martyn Ware, founding member of pop group The Human League, made a series of field recordings on the pier as part of a project with the National Trust and British Library project to capture the sounds of Britain. [7], The pier was awarded the National Piers Society's Pier of the Year award in 1998. [30] The Who's 1973 concept album Quadrophenia was inspired in part by band leader Pete Townshend spending a night underneath the pier in March 1964. The original pier was built in 1829 to allow potential visitors from London to visit the beach, which even at high tide was only 4-6 metres deep. Some structured demolition took place in 2010 to make way for the i360 observation tower; further structural damage from storms has occurred since. "The fire seemed to have started at the rear of the concert hall then worked its way forward," said Robert Harrison, 28, from Hove. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can It was 18 years ago on Sunday, March 28, 2003, that flames tore through the Grand Old Lady, sealing her fate for ever. It was designed to resemble kursaals, which were entertainment buildings found near spas on the Continent, and included reading and dining rooms. Your email address will not be published. RM BGB520 - The Old West Pier, Brighton, UK. An East Sussex Fire Brigade spokesman said the state of the tide and the loss of light had made it impossible to carry on the seaborne operation but that the brigade would continue to monitor the situation.
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