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By Allan
Jackson - 22 March 2007
I have
been going down to the Point and North Pier for as long as
I can remember. I can't even begin to calculate how much time
I must have spent down there watching the ships go in and
out of the harbour. When there was nothing going on in that
direction, there were always the fishermen, yachties and board
sailers to keep tabs on.
For many
years now, there has been talk of demolishing the pier to
widen the mouth of the harbour and now it finally seems to
be happening. I had no idea just how soon until I saw Terry
Hutson's article in the Mercury at the end of February. He
reported that the pier had already been closed off and I was
distressed to think that I had lost the opportunity of paying
a last visit.
Two weeks
later, at a bit of a loose end, I decided to go down and see
what I could see. There was no sign of the road being blocked
off and we drove and parked on the pier as so often before.
The place was certainly ready for demolition, with rubbish
everywhere and the once-thriving restaurants, such as Thirsty's,
Famous Fish Company and Splashes, boarded up and waiting for
the chop.
The building
housing Thirsty's was built around and over King's Battery,
which was a complex of extremely tough-looking concrete pillboxes
and firing points. It was designed to protect the entrance
to the harbour and resist everything that the enemy could
throw at it. I hope the demolishers don't have too much trouble
with it...
Most of
these pictures were taken by me on March 11, 2007.
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A
view showing the turnoff to Thirsty's and the other
restaurants, and looking towards North Pier.
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The
remains of the Waterfront takeaway adjacent to the car
park .
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Looking
down towards the end of the pier with the monument to
the Lady in White on the left. It marks the spot from
where she sang to the troopships arriving and departing
during WWII. I hope someone is going to save it!
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The
plaque on the monument.
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Another
view of the pier.
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Taken
from the grassy knoll lying between the pier and the
restaurant complex and looking back towards the pier
and harbour entrance.
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From
the grassy knoll looking towards the restaurant complex.
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A
closeup view of the complex showing how it was build
around the battery.
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The
battery, again.
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Looking
back past the front of the Famous Fish Company and Thirstys
to the two sheds, in the distance, which housed a variety
of enterprises including Splashes restaurant.
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Taken
4 December 2004: An unusual visitor who appeared
next to the pier parking area shortly after a number
of small businesses, including the Waterfront Takeaway,
above, were established there.
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| Postscript
- added 24 April 2006 |
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I
drove down to North Pier on 4 April 2007 and
found that the road had finally been closed. A green
metal fence had been erected so that nothing could be
seen. The number of cars (and a tour bus) that turned
up while I was taking the photo is eloquent testimony
to how popular the pier was as an attraction. The cars
in the picture are busy reversing out, having just seen
that the road was really closed.
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On
6 April 2007, we took a trip around the harbour
and out to sea on one of the Sarie Marais pleasure boats.
There wasn't very much to look at as far as the actual
pier was concerned; it is long and thin and hard to
photograph from that angle. I was glad to be able to
take a look from the sea side at the various buildings
which will soon be demolished along with the pier.
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First
on the left, looking out towards the harbour mouth,
is the Ananzi shed and, although I can't remember exactly
what it had in it, it did have a pub in it which sold
beer from the Nottingham Road Brewery. [Called The Wreck,
perhaps.] Next is the building which housed Splashes,
RJ's Restaurant and the Dockyard Theatre. In the distance,
is the King's Battery complex.
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The
King's Battery complex which housed Thirsty's pub and
restaurant, a restaurant which kept changing its name,
and the Famous Fish Company restaurant on the second
floor. The pipe sticking out just before the complex
is where dredgers used to discharge sand to the pumping
station.
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The
King's Battery complex with Thirsty's occupying the
ground floor on the left. The Famous Fish was located
above it and, on the right, the restaurant which kept
changing its name.
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The
end of North Pier. The green post holding the navigation
light at the end of the pier is visible, as are the
extensive building operations underway at the Point
Precinct.
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Looking
back to Kings Battery from the harbour mouth side. The
restaurant which kept changing its name was housed in
the nearest corner, with the tables being sheltered
under the white marquee-type roof.
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Thirsty's
and Famous Fish on the left and, on the right, the restaurant
which kept changing its name.
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Looking
from the harbour mouth side. The building housed Splashes,
on the ground floor in the nearest corner, and RJ's
above that.
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