National Piers Society
Encyclopedia
The National Piers Society (NPS) is a registered charity in the United Kingdom
dedicated to promoting and sustaining interest in the preservation and continued enjoyment of seaside piers.
It was founded in 1979, with Sir John Betjeman
as the first Honorary President. Currently the role is filled by Gavin Henderson, CBE, President of Trinity College of Music and a former member of the Arts Council
, with Tim Mickleburgh (Chair 1995-2003) as Honorary Vice President. The NPS became a registered charity in 1999, and as a society publishes two periodicals; a "Guide to British Piers" and a quarterly magazine. The society also lobbies
heritage bodies, lottery boards, local authorities and the media on pier issues.
The Annual General Meeting
takes place at a different resort each year. In addition to establishing regional branches, the society is working to create a National Piers Museum.
The NPS maintains links with the relevant trade association
, the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions, and the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society.
Since 1996 the society has presented an annual Pier of the Year award. Past awards have been given to:
The society also presents a bi-annual award for engineering excellence, the Peter Mason Award named after a past Chairman.
In 2005, a limited company - The National Piers Society Ltd. - was created as the NPS trading arm.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
dedicated to promoting and sustaining interest in the preservation and continued enjoyment of seaside piers.
It was founded in 1979, with Sir John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
as the first Honorary President. Currently the role is filled by Gavin Henderson, CBE, President of Trinity College of Music and a former member of the Arts Council
Arts council
An arts council is a government or private, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing events at home and abroad...
, with Tim Mickleburgh (Chair 1995-2003) as Honorary Vice President. The NPS became a registered charity in 1999, and as a society publishes two periodicals; a "Guide to British Piers" and a quarterly magazine. The society also lobbies
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
heritage bodies, lottery boards, local authorities and the media on pier issues.
The Annual General Meeting
Annual general meeting
An annual general meeting is a meeting that official bodies, and associations involving the public , are often required by law to hold...
takes place at a different resort each year. In addition to establishing regional branches, the society is working to create a National Piers Museum.
The NPS maintains links with the relevant trade association
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
, the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions, and the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society.
Since 1996 the society has presented an annual Pier of the Year award. Past awards have been given to:
- Eastbourne PierEastbourne PierEastbourne Pier is a seaside pleasure pier in Eastbourne, East Sussex, on the south coast of England.The proposal for a pier was first mooted at the end of 1863, and highly favoured by the town’s major landowner, the 7th Duke of Devonshire...
1997 - Brighton Palace PierBrighton PierThe Brighton Marine Palace and Pier is a pleasure pier in Brighton, England. It is generally known as the Palace Pier for short, but has been informally renamed Brighton Pier since 2000 by its owners, the Noble Organisation, in an attempt to suggest that it is Brighton's only pier...
1998. - Clevedon PierClevedon PierClevedon Pier is a seaside pier in the town of Clevedon, on the English side of the Severn Estuary. It is situated next to the Royal Pier Hotel....
1999 - Cromer PierCromer PierCromer Pier is a seaside pier in the civil parish of Cromer on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk, 40 km due north of the city of Norwich in the United Kingdom. The pier is the home of the Cromer Lifeboat Station and the Pavilion Theatre...
2000 - Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier 2001
- Southwold PierSouthwold PierSouthwold Pier is a pier in Southwold, Suffolk, East Anglia, England.Whilst many English seaside piers are in decline, Southwold Pier is enjoying renewed popularity...
2002 - Southport PierSouthport PierSouthport Pier is a Grade II listed structure in Southport, Merseyside, England. At 1,216 yards it is the second longest in Great Britain after Southend Pier...
2003 - Blackpool North PierNorth Pier, BlackpoolNorth Pier is the oldest and largest of the three coastal piers in Blackpool, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.-Location:...
2004 - Llandudno PierLlandudno PierLlandudno Pier is a pier in the seaside resort of Llandudno on the coast of North Wales between Bangor and Colwyn Bay.At the pier is the longest in Wales and the fifth longest in England and Wales. A British Tourist Authority report in 1975 said of it: '.... It zooms out of the sea.... in a...
2005 - Worthing PierWorthing PierWorthing Pier is a pier in Worthing, West Sussex, England. Designed by Sir Robert Rawlinson, it was opened on 12 April 1862 and remains open. The pier originally was a simple promenade deck 960 ft long and 15 ft wide...
2006 - Southend PierSouthend PierSouthend Pier is a major landmark in Southend-on-Sea. Extending into the Thames Estuary, it is the longest pleasure pier in the world. Sir John Betjeman once said that "the Pier is Southend, Southend is the Pier". The pier is a Grade II listed building....
2007 - Deal PierDeal, KentDeal is a town in Kent England. It lies on the English Channel eight miles north-east of Dover and eight miles south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town...
2008 - Saltburn PierSaltburn PierSaltburn Pier is a pier located in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is the last pier remaining in Yorkshire.-Background:...
2009 - Boscombe Pier 2010
The society also presents a bi-annual award for engineering excellence, the Peter Mason Award named after a past Chairman.
In 2005, a limited company - The National Piers Society Ltd. - was created as the NPS trading arm.