STUCK FOR CHRISTMAS IDEAS?
Are you stuck for ideas for unusual or individual Christmas presents? Why not drop in at the West Pier Centre?
We are at 103-105 King’s Road Arches, Brighton BN1 2FN and are open every day except Tuesdays, from 11am-4.30pm. We have a range of Pier-related books, prints and other products on sale, including work by Amalia Sanchez de la Blanca, who is exhibiting a selection of architectural portraits of the Brighton and Hove seafront in the Centre at the moment.
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WHILST YOU'RE VISITING US...
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......make sure you also explore the range of outlets that have opened in the rebuilt arches either side of the i360, which include cafes, vintage clothes shops and galleries.
We particularly recommend Unlimited, our next-door neighbour. Described as “a shop & gallery curated by Sara Morrissey, showcasing contemporary design from the best of independent makers and creatives,” it is a riotously colourful collection of artwork, homewares and gifts.
“I'm one half of Unlimited Design Studio with my husband Patrick,” Sara says, "But this has grown from ours and friends’ work to now stocking over a hundred different selected designers and makers.
“I’m always curating and finding new talent. We have everything from one-off artworks and limited edition prints to handmade ceramics, jewellery and textiles, all by independent creatives. We are not about brands, but rather showcasing good, thoughtful, well-crafted design work.
“We put on lots of exhibitions and shows as an art gallery, but at the same time we love to stock a general range of chosen goods and gifts that you can come in and buy.
“This shop is ten years in the making, beginning as a pop-up from our studio to a shop in the North Laine to now. We opened here a week before the first lock down, but we love it on the seafront. The lovely light suits all the amazing colours!”
Pre-Christmas opening hours: 10.30am – 4pm every day except Tuesdays. www.unlimitedshop.co.uk
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MURMURATIONS
Of course, we are now at the time of year for murmurations. If you are visiting us in the late afternoon, you should be ideally placed for a free show of aerobatics from the Pier’s starling population.
According to rspb.org.uk, “autumn roosts usually begin to form in November, and more and more birds will flock together as the weeks go on, and the number of starlings in a roost can swell to around 100,000 in some places.
“Early evening, just before dusk, is the best time to see them across the UK. You don't need any special equipment as it's all visible by just looking to the skies.
“They mainly choose to roost in places which are sheltered from harsh weather and predators, such as woodlands, but reedbeds, cliffs, buildings and industrial structures are also used.”
The Pier has been one of those structures for decades and the murmurations make the view at sunset even more spectacular than usual.
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Also, well worth a visit is the Rampion Wind Farm visitors’ centre, between the West Pier Centre and i360. Free to enter, it gives a fascinating insight into the workings, history and construction of the wind farm that has become a feature of our southern horizon. Suitable for both adults and children, it has interactive exhibits and even a virtual reality tour of one of the turbines out in the farm itself!
It is now possible to turn up and walk in, but booking ahead is advisable, especially at weekends. Open every day except Mondays, 10-4.
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Kenneth Revis MBE, 1917-2000
The West Pier was the last thing Ken Revis MBE ever saw, even though he lived for another 57 years after that final glimpse.
The then Captain Revis of Royal Engineers bomb disposal was working to clear anti-personnel devices close to the Pier in 1943 when 13 exploded, blinding him.
Despite his disability, Ken led an extremely full life. He became a representative of St Dunstan's charity for the blind in India, served as a press officer for Morris Motors, qualified as a solicitor and, in October 1962, was the subject of This Is Your Life.
Something of a daredevil, he learned to water-ski and fly gliders and even drove a sports car at 100 mph on an airport runway, coached by his wife Jo from the passenger seat.
He also became a board member of the West Pier Trust. "People say that I should hate the place," he would say. "I can't explain why I keep going back. I suppose it's the last thing I saw."
He died in 2000 at the age of 83, but you can hear him tell his own remarkable story in archive recordings on the Imperial War Museum website.
The West Pier incident is narrated from 16.30 in recording number 3.
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Copyright ©2021 West Pier Trust, All rights reserved. hello@westpier.co.uk
Brighton West Pier Trust · West Pier · 103 - 105 Kings Road Arches · Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2FN · United Kingdom
Press Contact: hello@westpier.co.uk t: 07768900072
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