The Struggle to Build Southend’s First Pier
Andrew Summers
- Regions:
- London, Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Professional
- Fee:
- Paid: £70 plus mileage and time as applicable
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 20th January 2026
- Tagged:
- 1830 1880
The Struggle to Build Southend’s First Pier is based on a book written by Marion Pearce and published by Essex Hundred Publications. Southend’s world famous pier is nearly 200 years old and is reputed to be the longest pleasure pier in the world. Over its life span the pier has suffered several fires, severe damage from ships crashing into it and come close to being scrapped on more than one occasion on the grounds of cost by the local authority. As the title implies getting the pier built was no easy task very much like any major building project throughout the ages. Marion Pearce, the author spent years researching the subject and putting a fascinating story together. The talk covers the first 40 years of a remarkable story. Powerful businessmen and landowners repeatedly clashed over the location of the pier. The prospect of the imposition of tolls in an area that covered three miles either side of the pier led to repeated vandalism and violence and where local magistrates were unable or simply unwilling to enforce the law. The talk is fully illustrated and includes two embedded video shorts
Views: 18 | Enquiries: 1About Andrew Summers
Andrew was born within the sound of Bow Bells on a quiet day. His father Kazik spent two years in a Soviet Labour camp as a ‘guest’ of Joe Stalin. His mother Diana worked for some time at Bletchley Park helping to crack codes, but that was all very secretive. After a spell in North Kent and then Leigh on Sea, for the past 30 years Andrew has lived in Hadleigh (Essex) and been married to Glenis. Andrew has bought and sold books in the UK and abroad and even printed books too. With a change of tack he now an author and publisher. Andrew has written or co-written a number of books, They Did Their Duty, Essex Farm which tells the story of Essex Farm in Belgium and its connections with the Essex Regiment, edited The Numbers Had to Tally, a second world war survival story and written The Riddle of Boudica. He too has compiled ONCE UPON A TIME IN SOUTHEND (and District). With his co-writer John Debenham they have created the Essex Hundred series of books, including Magna Carta in Essex and The Essex Hundred Histories which has been reprinted 15 times. The latest title in the Essex Hundred series due in the spring of 2026 is ONCE IN ESSEX, NOW IN LONDON.
Our talks are ‘Powerpoint’ illustrated and usually include an embedded video short. We will bring our own lap top or flash drive for the presentation. We can provide a projector if needed at small extra charge. We rely on the venue to provide a suitable screen and audio/ sound equipment /mike if needed. Timing is between 40 minutes and one hour and allows for breaks and questions. We always look at history from alternative perspectives and try to link past events to those of the present day. More www.essex100.com, Email. ask@essex100.com Tel 01702 557828
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