Clacton Pier (The history)

[Chief Engineer]

Hi guys,

The helicopter ride was purely called ‘The Helicopters’ Built up in Scotland by George Maxwell & Sons who also built the ‘Paratrooper’ and ‘Waltzer’ but like so many other firms have long since disappeared.

I do believe the helicopter ride still lives on along with its sister ride ‘The Red Barrons’ which was a conversion during the years when both Walton and Clacton Piers belonged to the Goss family.

There is a quick shot of the helicopter ride in this music video shot on the Pier:-
http://www.youtube.com/user/clactonpier ... 5yLRTuM3no



I also can vaguely remember the Dalek, it would be a shame if it never survived.

Regards
CE

[marc]

Hi all, love this topic. CE have you any pictures of the Log splash which spent a season on the Pier.

Thanks in adavnce

[ijtharper]

Thanks CE. I do remember the Red Barons ride. Two people to each biplane? I can't quite remember if the height was rider-controllable or not and if it was, how it was done. Was it a handbrake-style lever on the floor between the seats?
I also remember the glittery Batman ride, and the motorboat ride where the boats went round in a circular pool. As a kid, I remember the boats having bells on the front that you could ring.

[Chief Engineer]

Hi marc,

Sadly no pictures of Charlie's Log Flume, it was a 'on loan' ride for a season or two. I remember we did spend a little time making up a fake log cabin frontage to pretty it up a little. Another ride to make the journey from Felixstowe were the Swinging Gyms, again no picture, but certainly a ride to keep you fit. I only managed it once, getting the cage right over the top, doubt I could do it now and I probably would not want to try.

Hi ijtharper,

The Red Barrons was probably a set of helicopters before it had a make over, so shared the same hydraulic system. Walton Pier had a set of Red Barrons converted at the same time as Clacton's set, we still have a fuselage minus the wings in store, this was made as a light gauge replica to go with the film theme in the skating rink but never got used.

The Batman ride is in store at the moment, but it seems like most rides on the Pier it has undergone a change in its life time and actually started of as a rocket ride and is probably the oldest of all the Pier rides apart from the Dodgem Track which has served a lot years.

Here are a couple of photographs pre-bats:-


Sadly the boats from the boat ride rotted away, there may be one boat that survived but the other boats were used as decoration in the Sea Lion show area and got left to rot when the shows stopped. The only bit of the ride left in our stores is the central hub and brush gear.

CE

[FATBOY]

never seen that music video before? didnt realise caroline quinton and leslie ash had a music career?

[kevin]

Hi Chief Engineer, we were on the pier yesterday and I must say how good the bowl looks. The roof line is particularly impressive highlighting the original contour and the diner area looks fresh and clean. It's a shame the diner wasn't built around an open kitchen as at Ed's diner in London, I fear that it will remain isolated and under used in its current format.

What happens with the Pavilion now? I recall that they had plans for a bowling alley but it seems unlikely, now you have pipped them to the post!

[Chief Engineer]

Hi Fatboy,

I think their musical duo was only a one off. For a long while I used to have a crush on Leslie Ash, so quite happily volunteered to operate the rides on that video shoot. I even had the pleasure of Leslie sitting beside me while they were filming close ups on one of the others, I was so totally awe struck, that I could not say a word.

Hi Kevin,

The original dance floor ceiling of the Blue Lagoon now The Lanes, looks fantastic especially with the up wash colour changing led lighting and is probably not far away from how the original neon tube lighting must have looked back in 1935 when the building first opened. Three sets of coloured neon tubes gave a similar colour changing effect depending on what tubes were switched on. Originally installed by the French company setup by Claude Neon, who perfected neon.

The Pavilion is still installing 10 lanes of bowling, the Pier's bowling is aimed more for the family market and due to the limitations of only squeezing in six lanes we could never hold league matches, but of course it is still a full sized 10 pin bowling lane so perfect for the professionals to brush up on their skills as well as first timers wanting to have a go.

CE

[Art Deco]

This thread has been an absolute joy to follow and I thank the Chief Engineer for his wonderful contributions.
I moved to Clacton at the end of 2008 and have become a bit of a local history buff since.
I was fortunate enough to be on the pier in May this year whilst the entrance to the old swimming pool was open due to workmen being in there. I asked if I could take a quick film of it and they said yes. I put it on you tube.
Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOZNyWZ8dqs

[Art Deco]

I also have a beach hut at Holland on Sea and on some summer afternoons Ted Harrison, who owned the pier and sold it to the present owners, can be found strolling the front after his lunch.
I became quite friendly with him and he tells me lovely old stories of his younger days when he worked for Billy Butlin and how things were when he took over the pier.

[Chief Engineer]

Hi Art Deco,

Glad your enjoying the thread, which of course makes it even more of a pleasure to piece together the history and life of the Pier. I have lots more to post and with the long winter nights drawing ever closer I will be posting up some more fantastic pictures and info.

It is a shame to see the swimming pool today, When the swimming pool complete with fountain first opened it became a focal point of the Pier, not only for swimming but Gala's, Beauty contests and swimming contests but also a good sun trap for just relaxing and watching others have fun.

I have sorted out a few pictures from Peter Kingsman of the swimming pool looking at its best. The first is quite an early view as the diving board has not been installed yet and a rare night time view where the pool appears to be illuminated through the underwater glass windows.

CE

[Art Deco]

Marvelous stuff.
Any pics of the flat on the pier (inside or out) that Mr Kingsman lived in?
That fascinates me.

[Chief Engineer]

Hi Art Deco,

In all the pictures that Peter Kingsman has kindly given me permission to share, not one is of the living accommodation on either side of the Pier. I am sure there must have been some family snaps taken upstairs as Peter could certainly remember celebrating Christmas and the cooking of lunch in the west flat and the full sized billiard table upstairs in the east flat.

Today the Pier offices utilise most of the usable space upstairs, which unfortunately means I can not share any images of how they look. The last remains of almost all of the original features were removed when the double glazing replaced the original ‘art deco’ galvanised steel frames in the west flat.

However one little time capsule remains almost intact in the west flat. The original bathroom survives, not in use today and missing its original sink and toilet pan, the rest of the bathroom has remained unchanged over the years.
CE

[Art Deco]

Terrific pics mate.
Thanks a lot for posting them for me. Much appreciated.
Interesting to see the old cistern support 's' brackets still there too.

[Chief Engineer]

I have a fear of heights, so one job last week I was more than happy to watch someone else rise to the occasion and enjoy the high life. At around 55 foot tall the Pier's berthing arm flag pole was in need of a little TLC, a fresh coat of paint and refurbishment of the flag rigging will hopefully keep a flag flying for another twenty years. I am sure that this is the original pole from when the berthing arm was installed to the Pier, the carpenter told me the aroma from the pitch pine timber still smelt strong when drilling in some new fixings at the top.

A quick delve through Peter Kingsman's picture archive uncovered some views of the berthing arm under construction along with its grand opening. As you can see to build the concrete berthing arm a timber one had to be built first. The pictures show the forest of under pilings of the end of the berthing arm, not often noticed is how solid this end part of the berthing arm has been designed, along with the actual concrete structure there is an additional 20tons of ballast built into a huge chamber under the flag pole, this is to resist the impact of docking and berthed ships.

Although washed away now, the berthing arm originally had two levels, the first few steps through the concrete top deck still remain, now clad over in timber decking. This lower timber level was probably used more for luggage and the loading of ships provisions along with the supply of fresh water, a few fragments of pipe work still hang on to the supporting cross beams.

A rummage through the plans draw uncovered various designs of how the berthing arm might have looked along with four different designs of flag pole, sadly no notes as to why the berthing arm we have today was chosen.

CE

[Chief Engineer]

Another look through the plans draw unearthed a little bit more detail on how the lower level to the berthing arm would have looked when new. The ballast chamber at the end of the arm to resist the impact of ships berthing and laying along side is also detailed in the plans.

You can also see how the outer 16"x16" vertical timber 'fender piles' are only driven lightly into the seabed, this is to allow a certain amount free movement when ships are rubbing up against them. The tops of the timbers provide no support to the berthing arm, large rubber buffers located behind these timbers to the concrete deck provide some impact support, while horizontal 12"x12" 'waling' timbers keep the buffers upright.
A replacable timber rubbing piece protects the fender piles.

On the plans you can see the HW (high water) and LW (low water) of 1933, with the lower timber deck of the berthing arm under the tide twice a day, its not surprising that the sea reclaimed the timber for it's self.


CE