MP for Southend West Anna Firth attended the Pier of the Year award ceremony on Friday which formally ordained Southend Pier as the winner of 2023. Anna was joined by Rochford and Southend East MP Sir James Duddridge, as well as Southend Mayor Stephen Habermel to celebrate the piers updated status.
Earlier this year The National Piers Society (NPS) announced that Southend Pier was Pier of the Year 2023, placing ahead of the infamous Cromer and Brighton Piers which conceded second and third respectively. In recent years, Southend Pier has played a major role as a tourism draw for the new city. Also, it has been instrumental in reaping the benefits of upgraded facilities, in particular the new purpose-built trains that now run on the country’s oldest pier railway.
The Pier acts as the nucleus of the city. Recently Firth attended the Great Pier walk hosted by the Leigh Rotary Club to raise money for Southend Hospital Charitable Foundation’s ‘Spotlight Radiotherapy Appeal’. Also, El Galeon has been an exciting addition to the pier. The 17th century working, Spanish tall ship offers six decks of fascinating features, exhibits, and displays, with an incredible 320 m2 (3,400 ft2) of deck space.
There were many attractions on the day aimed at bringing together Southend residents and their families. From crazy golf to Punch and Judy performances, the seaside city was filled with sea shanty anthems sung by the Holy Shanty Crew.
Anna said:
‘Pier of the Year status is the perfect accolade for Southend in its first year of city status’.
‘It was brilliant to see so many people involved in the celebrations and to be joined by Southend Mayor Stephen Habermel, Mayoress, and neighbouring MP, Sir James Duddridge for Rochford and Southend East as well as the brilliant NPS representatives presenting the award’.
Mark Harvey, Executive Director, Adults & Communities at Southend-on-Sea City Council:
‘I am delighted that Southend Pier has been awarded the Pier of the Year award by The National Piers society. It is our city’s most treasured and historical icon, and we are extremely proud of this achievement. The pier is more popular than ever having welcomed 412,300 visitors last year – the highest number of visitors ever recorded in a single year, and 2023 is on course to continue this success with 37,000 visitors having already visited the pier in February, also a record for that month'.
Tim Wardeley, National Pier Society Chairman:
'Southend Pier is a true survivor having withstood storms, fires, collisions, and threats of closure to transform into the vital contributor to the resort’s tourism and leisure economy it has become today'.
