Working on the West Pier from 1956 to 1970, Daphne Mitchell’s 1996 memoir evokes the atmosphere of the seaside in bygone times. Daphne recalls seaside shows that featured acts such as local stunt man the Great Omani, floating by on a bed of nails.
She describes day-to-day life working on the pier, twelve hours a day for six days a week, even on Christmas day. Daphne documents the decline of the West Pier, until its eventual closure in 1975.
In this account, the working routine of the West Pier is vividly brought to life for the modern reader, who today can only view a ghostly wreck.
Oh! What a Lovely Pier is now out of print but is available as a PDF download of the original text on a pay-what-you-like basis. You can download it by clicking here. To make a donation for this booklet, please click on the button below.
