THE WEST PIER
Our seaside piers dotted around the coast of Britain, stand proud as a reminder of the entrepreneurial feats of the Victorian era. At the turn of the century almost one hundred piers existed around our shores, but sadly today only half that number remain and the future of several face a very uncertain outlook. The West Pier today is nothing more than a burned out wreck. The cast iron piles that once supported this marvel of eloquent design, now just hold up a rusted outline of its famous pavilion. This derelict pier still remains a fascinating attraction though for the tourists who flock to Brighton. While the Grand Pier a mile or so to the east, boasts itself as one of the top ten visited attractions in the country, the remnants of the old West Pier is probably the most photographed and still draws more than its own fair share of the limelight. For decades, thousands of starlings have made their roost on the old pier and at sunset they stream around in all directions in a giant swarm. But in 2003 after two arson attacks an estimated 20,000 birds fled to the Grand Pier, leaving only 3000 remaining in their original habitat. The pier was designed by Eugenius Birch and opened back in 1866, but it was not until 1916 that the great concert hall was added. During the decades after the war, seaside holidays in the UK started to go out of fashion with the advent of foreign holidays, especially to Spain. High costs of maintenance and viability eventually meant the pier had to be shut down in 1975 and a great storm in December 2002 resulted in the collapse of the great hall.