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archive head spider 2012_May 2012_May_26_1

Sad news about South Parade Pier, Southsea



This is from today's editon of "The News" (Portsmouth's daily paper, for those not in the know...)


"OUTRAGED visitors to South Parade Pier have found they are no longer allowed to walk along the iconic seafront attraction.


Families hoping to enjoy the Southsea landmark have been turned away by staff manning gates because of health and safety fears.

And many have expressed confusion that people can still pay to go fishing at the end of the pier, despite owners insisting its structure isn’t safe.

This has led to anger from residents and councillors who argue that either everyone should be allowed to use the pier – or it should be completely closed. 

But one of the attraction’s owners, Fred Nash, said Portsmouth City Council had produced a report in September last year which said repairs were urgently needed on the pier.

He added that fishing was still allowed because the structural problems were in the middle of the end platform, not at the sides.

There is also building work taking place for a new fish and chip restaurant, which forced the closure of the walk way beside the sea last year, but has now caused fury from visitors expecting a stroll in the sunshine.
Noel Philip-Davies, 46, from Baffins, said he was bitterly disappointed to have travelled to the pier and paid for parking only to be turned away.

He said: ‘I have two kids and we went for a walk and decided to go on the pier – the kids were desperate to go on there. 
‘It’s terrible because it’s a local landmark which should be open to the public. Whoever owns it is letting it run into disrepair. We wanted to go on it before it falls down.’

John Harrison, 57, of Cottage Grove, Southsea, said: ‘I’ve lived here all my life and to be blocked from the pier is an insult. 
‘We pay our rates and now they’re saying you can’t bring your kids on the pier.’
(From J.R: the council has NOTHING to do with this -it's all down to Fred Nash and his co-owners...)

And the leader of Portsmouth City Council, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, said: ‘It’s clearly mad. If it is unsafe for the public then it is unsafe for people who have fishing rods.

‘People use health and safety as an excuse for things – if the pier owners don’t have the money to invest in the pier and make it safe then they should sell it on to people who can.’ 

Mr Nash said the owners were working hard to restore the pier to its former glory – and have already built a new ice cream parlour and newsagent. 
(From J.R: A newsagent! And an Ice cream parlour! Just what's needed, eh?  It's a pity that Mr. Nash didn't see fit  sort out the simple things that didn't need major investment  - like clean toilets (with a seat on each toilet bowl and doors with locks), clean hygenic conditions in the bar and kitchen areas, a properly managed beer cellar...oh, and a thousand and one things . The Pier deserves  a management who  GIVE a damn...)  

Mr Nash  added that structural work would begin as soon as possible and he expected the side walk way to be open again ‘very soon’.

‘At the moment we are making a loss,’ he said. ‘And we can’t get any financial support, so we have got to make the best of it and do what we can. If anyone wants to come and make an offer for the pier right now we would certainly consider it." (From J.R: It really does make you wonder why he ever bought it in the first place ...)
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Such a dreadful shame - from its inception in 2000, Barking Spider Promotions ensured South Parade Pier was the home to The Bullfrog Blues Club, Southsea Folk & Roots Festival  and  the  many other great events we held  there....  Apart for all our local heroes -too many too mention!!!!!! , here's just some of the visting and touring bands who Barking Spider brought to the Pier -  many of whom came back time and time again. 

FAIRPORT CONVENTION - SHANE MacGOWAN & THE POPES - COUNTRY JOE McDONALD - THE COUNTRY JOE BAND - THE TUBES -  THE MUFFIN MEN WITH JIMMY CARL BLACK (of Frank  Zappa's Mothers of Invention) - ERIC BIBB - ROBIN TROWER - ALTAN - DERVISH- FRANCES BLACK - TERRY ALLEN - STEVE FORBERT - DEVON SPROULE -THE PRETTY THINGS - STACEY EARLE - ANN PEEBLES -  CANNED HEAT -DR FEELGOOD- EDDIE & THE HOTRODS -JOHN OTWAY -THE YARDBIRDS - CHRIS FARLOWE - RALPH McTELL -  MARTIN CARTHY & NORMA WATERSON - GEOFF MULDAUR - THE DYLAN PROJECT- LITTLE JOHNNY ENGLAND - COLVIN QUARMBY - JACKIE LEVEN - MEMO GONZALES & THE BLUESCASTERS - AYNSLEY LISTER (solo and with the band) - GENE PARSONS (of The Byrds) -  KENT DUCHAINE - SONNY BLACK - KING ROLLO -  THE BILL THOMAS BAND, BOB HALL - EARL GAINES & AL GARNER - MO INDIGO - BILLY C.FARLOW (of Commander Cody's Lost Planet Airmen) -AMOR - CHRIS SMITHER - GWYN ASHTON (solo & with the band) -CHRIS JAGGER - ADRIAN BYRON BURNS - GUY DAVIS -  HERSHEY & THE 12 BARS -  PAUL LAMB AND THE KINGSNAKES - AMY WADGE- THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN -  LARRY MILLER BAND -  BIG BILL MORGANFIELD -  KING EARL BOOGIE BAND -  GUY TORTORA, -  MICHAEL MESSER & ED GENNIS, MEMO GONZALES & THE BLUESCASTERS -   ASHLEY HUITCHING'S RAINBOW CHASES - RIC SANDERS TRIO - MIKE WEST - BOB CHEEVERS- THE HAMSTERS - THE JUKE JOINTS - HELEN WATSON - MIKE SANCHEZ - JULIE FELIX -LIGHTNIN' WILLIE & THE POORBOYS - SHOW OF HANDS- PHIL BEER BAND - PAUL DONES - SHERMAN ROBERTSON BAND -  ALBERT LEE & HOGAN'S HEROES - RORY ELLIS  - LITTLE TOBY WALKER - MARCUS MALONE - THE JIVE ACES -  DERRIN NAEUNDORF -  CADILLAC KINGS -  IAN SEIGAL -  BEN ANDREWS - DEBORAH BONHAM BAND -  DICK TAYLOR'S BLUES MUTHAS - ERROL LINTON -  DANNY BRYANT'S REDEYE BLUES BAND - EDDIE MARTIN - SPIKEDRIVERS - REET PETITE & GONE - CLAUDE BOURBON - THE OYSTER BAND - THE MEN THEY COULDN'T HANG - MARTIN JOSEPH - ADRIAN EDMONDSON & THE BAD SHEPHERDS - ROBIN BIBI -ROBIN JAMES HURT - SOMPIN' DAVE ALLEN - and wHo can forget STATE OF UNDRESS? the list just goes on and on. 

Ah, well, all good things must come to an end....

See you at the NEW Bullfrog Blues Club (1st Thursday of the month)  and the Southsea Folk Roots & Blues Day (August Bank holiday Suinday) at our present venue - The N.B.E.S.C.A. Club (a.k.a. The Dockyard Club), Onslow Road, Southsea  - it's clean, it's friendly, the beer's cheap (and very good indeed!) and the management actally CARE!!!!

J.R.