The Directors of Shotley Pier are delighted to announce the start of renovations from Wednesday 17th June 2020.  This follows three years of community fundraising to restore the popular Pier in Shotley Gate, Suffolk, built in 1894, and which has a rich local history. Work was due to start in March, but national lockdown emerged to delay the start. Contracts had already been awarded with Amicus Civil Engineering appointed as the main contractor, and Ashwells Tropical Timbers as supplier of reclaimed timbers.  A central feature of the refurbished pier will be durable 17 metre Greenheart piles reclaimed from the Woolwich Ferry Terminal and decking boards reclaimed from a pedestrian footbridge over the River Cam.  Pier volunteers visited Ashwells timber yard in Upminster, and selected the reclaimed timber, being attracted to its strength, beautiful character and sustainable credentials. The timber is currently at Thorogood Timber in Ardleigh, whose expert team is milling bespoke grip grooves before it starts its new life on the pier (see photo of timber on truck). Janine Davies-Tutt, Managing Director of Ashwells Timbers said: “We’re thrilled to be providing a selection of FSC certified reclaimed Greenheart for the rebuilding of the historic Shotley Pier.” Dave Gibson, Managing Director of Amicus Civil Engineering said: “Amicus Civil Engineering are very proud to be involved in the first phase of renovations to the historic Shotley Pier. Having worked on Ha’Penny Pier for the past few years, just across the water from Shotley, it is especially pleasing to be continuing the preservation of other important local landmarks. We are looking forward to being part of the team and seeing the pier open to the public in due course. “ The pier team deferred starting to the new date of 17th June to allow Malcolm (Malcy) Pridmore’s  funeral cortege to pass undisturbed, as he previously owned the popular pierside burger van.  The funeral procession is planned to visit the riverfront on Tuesday 16th June from 11.30 so people can have their chance to say goodbye and Malcy can be near the river one last time.

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Claire Lambert’s work is about the human figure, her life and also Shotley, where she has lived for many years. “My art also reflects the eras I have lived through”. She has chosen four pieces to reflect the essence of Shotley Gate over time. “Sunday afternoon down the front”  features the shoreline and pier before building development. Another mono-print “The Cherry Tree” is about a house with a flowering tree, half-way up Bristol Hill. The owner, Bunny Hare, used to row over to Harwich to do his shopping. The third print “My Shotley” shows the Pier and a women, au naturale, about to go for a dip in the Stour, similar to “ my friend Josie and myself, who are renowned for having a dip in the summer”. The fourth print, entitled “Walk at the Brickyards”,  is along the coastal path to a place where Claire has been beachcombing for pottery, beads and metals, since 1976. Claire started her artistic career at L’Atelier de Dour, the collective ceramic workshop in Belgium from 1956 to 1975. She always wanted to be an artist and was encouraged by a tutor who said when she was 16 “ she has got life in her work”. Claire enjoyed drawing life models and often includes figures in her prints which she took up in the 1980s after studying printing at the Ipswich art school with Ken Roberts. Her human figures express  powerful feeling with a simplicity of line, achieved from many years of “looking”. Claire has exhibited widely in England, Canada, France, Poland and Belgium. Here in Suffolk she has exhibited at the Peter Pears gallery in Aldeburgh and in 2019 at Christchurch Mansions in Ipswich. Claire has many more artworks to share and if you would like to contact her and chat about her art, please do so, email shotleypier@gmail.com with your contact details and Claire will gladly talk to you.

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For the third year running, Mandy and Dougie, the owners of the Red Lion Restaurant in Chelmondiston, are kindly donating their time and refreshments to help the pier with its fund raising. All funds raised go to theappeal, as the Red Lion team provide their services free of charge. The £5 ticket price includes tea or coffee, and a large slice of cake made by our talented volunteers.  No need to book in advance. The Artist of the Month speaks for a few minutes and you can chat to them during the morning if you wish to find out more about their art, some of their selected art is put on our “Art Wall” for the month so that there is an opportunity see their art for the rest of the month. All the artists have a local connection, and the themes are mainly pier and peninsula related. Also on permanent display at the Red Lion is an old plan of the pier, stamped 1867 with beautiful copperplate handwriting showing changes to the pier pilings, one of many artefacts that have been donated to this wonderful heritage project. Come along and meet pier volunteers to get the latest news,  or just to enjoy the cakes and ambience of this lovely place. Email shotleypier@gmail.com if you have any queries

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We are delighted to announce that Shotley Pier has signed a contract to receive an investment of £144,864 from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.  This adds to existing funds raised and other grants such as Coastal Revival Fund which donated £50,000 in March 2019 The purpose of the investment fund is for “support of investments associated with the maintenance, restoration and upgrading of the cultural and natural heritage of the heritage coast.” This investment means we can start work on Land Bridge section of the pier from the pavement edge out into the river. The hard work of the volunteer Directors in preparing for the contract means that work will commence in September 2019. While it is weather dependent, we hope to complete this section of the renovation by spring 2020, and have a section of the pier ready to walk on for our members and the public. Work to apply for planning permission to add side platforms and a visitor centre with workshop for  the pier continues. James Cartlidge, MP said: “I am absolutely delighted to hear the news that Shotley Pier has been awarded such a significant sum. As Patron of the Pier Project I am excited that this excellent community initiative will now be able to physically get underway and look forward to seeing it progress. As always, the team deserve praise for their continued energy and dedication.” It’s been a huge amount of work for the volunteers, attending funding meetings and writing papers, gathering evidence – both historical information as well as evidence from the public that they want this project. We conducted more than 30 public consultation events where we asked people what they wanted from the pier project.  The top three items which were mentioned over and over again by the public were: Free access to walk on the pier without paying an entrance fee; Shelter, so that the pier can be used all year round in all weather conditions; Celebrate the Victorian heritage of the pier . The pier group is doing its best to achieve these goals. Chairman John Davitt shared the delight of the volunteers by saying: “ We feel so lucky to get this funding, which is  a great expression of support for the development of the pier for the public to use once again after so many years. We can’t wait to get on with the work!”…

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Much of the planning inspector’s report seemed odd, but the most odd of all was his assertion that the existing decking is “attractive” and should be retained. We wondered where he stood when looking at the 1950’s concrete panels when he decided the decking was attractive,  do you think this wreckage is attractive ? Pictured is the decking and temporary boarding where the concrete panels are too dangerous to walk on. It’s not even the original decking, its mainly concrete panels dating from the 1950’s. Quite a few are boarded to make it slightly safer! Just for the record, we intend to replace all the concrete decking, partly because it is broken and ugly, partly because it is too heavy for the pilings, which were designed to carry the weight of timber planking ! To be fair the plannning inspector did mention the ” the existing fencing at the front of the site is unsightly” so he must have some critical faculties intact. He didn’t seem to realise, however, that the unsightly fencing is only there until we renovate the pier. Its purpose at the moment is to keep people off the dangerous decaying pier. The unsightly fence will have to stay there a bit longer due to this planning decision.

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Our annual fund raising Art Exhibition is at Shotley Church this weekend. Free  entry and super refreshments with plenty of parking ! Some lovely walks too. Come and enjoy !

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Very disappointing  news, but at least the pier group has not wasted its time, as the time spent awaiting the slow appeal process was used to draw up new, revised plan, undertaking  very extensive consultation across the area with the public and investors. The comments from the Inspector were somewhat surprising, especially the comments about the new housing estate being built on the beach a few hundred yards from the pier. Given that these dozen houses are three storeys high, and have a current planning application in progress to increase the height of the roofline even further, the Planning Inspector’s comment about the beach housing was baffling to us: “this building is positioned in a less prominent position within the private Shotley Marina on a substantial piece of land formerly used as a boatyard. I do not therefore consider this development to be comparable to the appeal scheme and neither am I of the view that it has significantly changed the open character and appearance of Queen Victoria Drive, as the appeal scheme would do.” We are amazed by this comment, anyone who has been to the area since the beach housing estate commenced is welcome to draw their own conclusions about how the character of the area has been changed by the three-storey housing estate on the beach which isn’t even half way complete yet, and is very close to our pier. Two important principles have been established by our lengthy period of consultation: Firstly and most importantly, there has been resounding support for being able to walk on the pier without paying to enter it. Secondly, people repeatedly said they wanted to be able to take shelter on the pier to be able to enjoy it all year round.   These two principles have shaped all our decisions. The need for  visitor centre comes from this consultation. Anyone who has an opinion, is welcome to email shotleypier@gmail.com or come to one of our community events to meet our volunteer Directors and have a chat.

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