Clacton Pier (The history)

[FATBOY]

glad to see some new pics

[Stagehand]

Here are a few more swimming pool pictures, most are taken from hand bills and programs so the quality is a little poor, but they give a good insight to all the different activities and shows that went on in and around the pool.

CE

Hi Everyone sorry I havnt done a lot for this forum latley, hope to make up for it by providing some rare footage of the swimming pool in action in the 30's & 50's. The first is called "water Sprites" the heading says Butlins but it is actualy Clacton Pier Pool. The boats are on loan from Butlins as they shared events up until the late 50's The second is a National beauty contest which was held every year up until 1960 when it lost it's popularity. Both of the excerpts are from the British Pathe website. Enjoy

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=9392
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=44751

[Chief Engineer]

Welcome Stagehand, with your reminder of warmer times enjoying the fun and games around the swimming pool, here are a couple more photographs of Clacton Pier's swimming pool.

An early one in the height of the summer season in August 1933 starts of the set. If you preferred to just capture the sun the pool area, it even had its very own strip of beach, although not quite the golden sands of the real beach below the Pier. The entrance and exit capped by an art deco arch complete with clock.

CE

[Chief Engineer]

A few more pictures from around the swimming pool to remind us of warmer summer days.

Unfortunately no details to accompany what is going on in the photographs, certainly the first in the set has a good audience for what appears to be a swimming gala. Secondly an early view of the pool shortly after its opening as the Blue Lagoon building is missing in the back ground, lastly two general views of people just having fun in the water.

CE

[DolphinBoy]

What a great set of photos, it really shows how big this pool was!
1933....that was 38 years before the dolphins took over that area, Im sure if it was still there today it would still be one of the biggest & perfectly situated pools in the country!
Keep up the great work
DB

[Chief Engineer]

It is certainly cold outside tonight in this early December freeze, but spare a thought of how cold it must have been back in 1963 when the sea at Clacton's beaches froze and the swimming pool could have taken on the role of a skating rink. Sadly no details of how thick the ice was, remembering that this was a salt water swimming pool it must have been cold.

CE

[FATBOY]

quick question for chief engineer.

if you go to this link (dolphins of clacton pier)

http://www.clactondolphins.co.uk/Pages/ ... -page.html

and look for the skyliner ride, with the horrendous health and safety aspect! lol

and to the left is the row of seats and shelters(a regular site on many piers) when were they taken of the pier? and why? the neck of the pier always seemed to empty to me....

[FATBOY]

you about mr engineer?? i see a roller coaster has appeared on the pier? any info / pics?

[Chief Engineer]

Hi everyone,

Sorry its been such a long time since my last post, but as Fatboy has rightly spotted we are erecting a Roller Coaster which will hopefully bring back all those good times when the 'Steel Stella' stood and thrilled thousands for many years on the same spot and I was certainly one of those riders.

She is not a new coaster, but has undergone a complete refurbishment, so is as good as new and should become as an iconic part of the Pier's skyline as did the original Stella. As much as I would love to build a replica of the original Steel Stella using all the old photographs as a template, when taken by E. Kingsman during its construction, the Pier owners have had to go with a slightly more modern approach and have picked a very close alternative, a Pinfari Z40. In a lot of ways the Z40 shares some of Stella's track layout and almost fills the same ground footprint, just a shame it does not have the famous first double dips of Stella.

It has a name, but it is being kept under wraps for the time being, but with the location and history of that particular piece of the Pier the name Stella will live on. It is hard believe that almost 80 years ago that the first steel poles of Stella were being put in place, so the images of both old and new coasters only seems right to share in the history pages of Clacton Pier.

CE

Day One

Taking shape

Not day two, but the high bit is up, not sure if that last jump will work?

[Gary]

Brilliant photos as always.

Cheers Mr E!

Gary

[DolphinBoy]

Dont you just love it when history repeats itself , fantastic news for the Pier & Clacton.
I drove past today and must say its very nostalgic seeing a coaster on the pier again, even more so as it does look more Steel Stella than Whirlwind.
Can't wait to give it a try!
DB

[Chief Engineer]

I am sure all the roller coaster enthusiasts out there will know that the Steel Stella was one of three similar coasters that followed the same design by Mr. Lot Morgan for the Double Grip Tubular Steel Company. His design I believe was the first to use a steel scaffolding frame supporting a wooden track. A sister ride of a similar layout was built in Skegness but a far larger coaster was constructed for the Centennial Exhibition in New Zealand. I was lucky enough to have been forwarded some news paper articles and pictures covering the exhibition and the 'Cyclone' roller coaster, of which I am sure the Steel Stella proved the design leading the way for this bigger version.

CE

My thanks to Ed Dickinson for forwarding the clippings.

[Chief Engineer]

Hi DB,

Yes the coaster is looking more and more like Steel Stella as more sections of track go in each day.

Here are a few more of the unusual pictures taken as the ride takes shape, I am sure some of the locals will be scratching your heads at some of the odd sections of track appearing in the sky, yet not connected to the bulk of the ride, this is purely down to access being restricted on two sides by the North Sea, so we are having to adapt the normal erection sequence. Hopefully all the gaps will be filled before we send the first car around.

CE

It's a long haul up

That jump again

Are you sure all the bits were in the box

[kevin]

Fantastic news! Out of interest, the "sister" ride was built at South Shields.

[Alan]

i was at Clacton friday so had to take a look at the new ride on the pier, it looked like most of the work was done but still had to put more work into it, looking good.

Alan

PS also building work going on inside the main entrance along the right side as you go in.