Pier We Go! Falmouth, Looe and Newlyn gear up for UK-wide Party on the Pier

March 7, 2011 - PRLog -- On Saturday 12th March, 34 piers across the UK will be hosting individual events as part of the first ever nationwide Party on the Pier. Looe, Newlyn and Falmouth will all be hosting parties of their own, celebrating the heritage of their piers in unique and fitting ways.

The Prince of Wales Pier, Falmouth

The Prince of Wales Pier invites visitors to step back in time and relive the heyday of the
Pier. Between 1pm – 2pm on 12th March, Falmouth will be celebrating the historical significance of the Pier with locals dressed in period costumes, and a display of unique photographs from the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society to show the heritage and history of the Pier from the 1870’s to the 1950’s. The organisers will also be launching a new group called “Friends of the Pier”, which is set to transform the structure in the short and long term.

“Parties on the Pier is a great initiative for us to talk about the heritage of the Piers across the UK and, looking to the future, to ensure they remain an integral part of our communities and continue to be enjoyed by everyone,” said Richard Gates, Town Manager of Falmouth.  “We look forward to seeing lots of people at the Pier between 1pm and 2pm to experience this fantastic occasion.”

Banjo Pier, Looe

In Looe, banjo players will be strumming and entertaining locals and visitors alike on the celebrated Banjo Pier.  The Pier has never hosted a banjo concert before, so it is an event to go into the history books.

“Banjos on the Banjo, as part of British Tourism Week, gives Looe a chance to kick start the 2011 season with something a little different, says Mark Camp, organiser and Manager at Looe Tourist Information Centre. “Come along and join in the fun on March 12th. The banjos will be congregating on the Pier at midday and then playing in and around the seafront afterwards. There will also be an exhibition of images of the pier past and present in the Pier Café and the launch of a competition to design a new postcard for Looe.”

Visitors are invited to come down to the Banjo Pier from Midday onwards on Saturday 12th March for a unique celebration of Banjo Pier. Cornish band Kath and her Bluegrass Boys will also be entertaining visitors at the Pier Café.

Newlyn’s Old Harbour

Newlyn's Old Harbour will be alive with activity with the local fleet of luggers (traditional boats), artists, heritage information and activities. Renowned for its prolific artists and fishing industry, the day will bring both together at the famous Old Harbour. From 10am onwards on the 12th March, the Old Quay  will host a collaboration between local artists and National Historic Ships which will bring alive a day of boats and painting. Locals and visitors are encouraged to bring their easels, sketchpads and cameras to join in this stunning spectacle. There will also be guest appearances from the Mayor of Penzance and the Chairman of Newlyn Pier and Harbours Commissioners, as well as further activities to be confirmed.

“The Old Quay has been the centre of all that came and went by sea over a long period of time, so it is a great opportunity that an event such as this presents a chance to put it back into the centre of attention in such a fitting way,” said organiser John Lambourn. Our maritime heritage is rich and fascinating, cherished by many as they trace their family roots back to some maritime connection, and so deserving for preservation. We are extremely lucky too to have some restored luggers present on the day to show what it was like. I hope everyone who comes to see the Old Quay, its boats and its artists will enjoy this bit of real Cornwall and take away a sketch or photograph they have produced for themselves.”

Newlyn Archive will be putting on a photographic display of the 14th Century Old Harbour and its boats in its heyday. For those with memories of a bygone era, there will be  someone on site to record them.

Malcolm Bell, Head of Tourism at VisitCornwall, the Cornwall Development Company tourism service, comments “As one of the country’s lead tourism destinations, Cornwall is delighted to be taking part in VisitBritain’s British Tourism Week’s celebrations by hosting three of our very own Parties on the Pier. Our coastline is the longest in Great Britain and this is an excellent opportunity to showcase the diversity of our coastal scenery and maritime heritage.”

For more information see www.britishtourismweek.com  and for more information on these events and many more check out the websites www.visit-southeastcornwall.co.uk or www.visitcornwall.com
ENDS

Notes to the Editor:
Issued on behalf of VisitCornwall as part of VisitBritain’s ‘British Tourism Week, Party on the Pier’.

For further information, supporting images or interviews please contact:
Tom Cowle 07815 122950 or Tom@excessenergycomms.com  
Georgia Pitt 01637 852130 or Georgia@excessenergycomms.com


VisitCornwall is a service of the Cornwall Development Company, a local authority company controlled by Cornwall Council.

VisitCornwall undertakes the destination marketing function for Cornwall and promotes the areas distinctive qualities to the domestic market and key international markets through targeted marketing campaigns.

About Party on the Pier: Party on the Pier will kick off the fifth annual British Tourism Week on Saturday 12th March 2011 with simultaneous parties hosted on seaside piers, harbours and jetties around the coast and on inland rivers, canals and lakes ‘. It will be a national celebration of Britain’s piers and their heritage, and the biggest nationwide event on Britain’s piers since Year of the pier in 1996. Piers have entered our collective psyche as an integral part of the authentic British seaside experience, and the recent outcry over the tragic fire at Hastings is a clear sign of the esteem in which these coastal icons are still held. To date, 34 of the 55 seaside piers still in existence have expressed an interest in getting involved, as well as a number of other piers and harbours around our coastline and on our inland waterways.

Party on the Pier is in partnership with the National Piers Society and the support of other organisations including the British Resorts and Destinations Association, British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions, and the Tourism management Institute.

British Tourism Week: British Tourism Week aims to raise local, regional, national and international awareness of the size, value and importance of Britain's £115 billion visitor economy it will run from the 12th – 20th March 2011. BTW 2010 saw over 230 events take place across the country to demonstrate the contribution made by businesses large and small, public and private in making tourism the fifth largest industry in the UK, an industry that employs directly or indirectly around 2.6 million people.

During the Week, MPs, Welsh Assembly Members, Members of the Scottish Parliament and local councilors will also be invited to visit tourism businesses in their constituencies to better understand the importance of the tourism industry in their area. Jobs in tourism account for 10% or more of total jobs in over 130 constituencies of Members of Parliament.