Brighton's ghostly West Pier
On a trip to Brighton a few days ago, I not only discovered funky shops as mentioned in my last post , I also joined some colleagues for a fantastic 3-course meal by the pier. As we crossed the road to reach the restaurant by the seaside, the sun was setting and a soft mist engulfed us. I noticed an old dilapidated structure in the distance. It seemed to float up towards us. It was, as I learnt later, the West Pier of Brighton. Over 100 years old, it has been unloved for a while and suffered damage first from storms and most recently from a severe fire. No one was believed to be hurt although it is suspected that someone started the fire deliberately. This is how the far side looks with the remaining stumps. Bizarrely some students appeared to be holding a BBQ of some sort near the sea. The pier is a far cry from its glory days in the late 19th century. Today, the red notice states that these structures are hazardous. Unbeknown to m...
