“We’re always trying to find equipment for families,”
explained Norman, “as that’s our core market and we are always trying to keep things fresh. We’ve been hiring some equipment during the last few years (as well as purchasing outright) and at the moment we are actively looking for another good family piece to fill the rest of the space vacated by the Log Flume.” The pier deck itself is approximately an acre in size and
among other attractions also includes an SDC roller coaster, dodgems, a set of Gallopers from John H. Rundle, a Twist, a Maxwell Waltzer, a selection of children’s rides and a few side stalls. There are also three arcades on the site, the largest in the main Clarence Pier building which also houses Pirate Pete’s children’s indoor play area, a Wimpey fast food franchise and a coffee shop. Apart from the main summer holiday period, the pier
opens when schools are closed and at weekends, a change from years gone by when it opened at Easter for the whole of the summer season. Reduced price wristbands are available during the evenings from 6pm to 9pm each day of opening. And pier operation continues to be a challenging activity. “Obviously we are not on ‘terra firma’,” comments
Norman. “In the winter everything is stripped down for maintenance while we must also maintain the pier deck. The cost of maintenance is astronomical but of course no-
one sees all the work we have to keep doing underneath the pier. We also have to strengthen the pier deck to add attractions such as the Log Flume we had.” Norman, like other pier owners and operators, believes
the government should assist in this area by not charging rates on piers –“We are part of the country’s history and heritage,” he states – and there has to be some sympathy for this argument, but in the meantime Clarence Pier will continue doing what it knows best. “For the future we’ll keep doing what we are doing,”
says Norman. “We will continue to keep things fresh and to try and put in attractions that people want. We’ll also keep looking for attractions like the high ropes course so that we can offer something different to our guests.”
www.InterPark.co.uk 47
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