Working life at the pier

Jan B (pictured below) is one of a group of early morning swimmers who meet for their daily swim near to South Parade Pier in Southsea. I had previously interviewed the swimmers as part of my 'Great British Seaside' project and it was during that interview that I discovered Jan's previous working life at the pier.

Up until two and a half years ago Jan spent five years as a cleaner at South Parade Pier and it was obvious from talking to her that she had lots of fond memories of her time there. Jan is a particularly warm and friendly lady and it was on a cold day in November when we sat looking out to sea and chatted about the past.

When Jan started her job as a cleaner, there used to be a fairground at the end of the pier which is sadly no longer there; other facilities were the newsagents, arcade, ice-cream shop and Albert Bar. I asked Jan what kind of functions would take place there and she told me that the pier would host a wide range of events from dinner dances, boxing matches, charity functions, Christmas and birthday parties to weddings, and tea dances.

Jan in front of the South Parade Pier

Jan recalled when she first got given a uniform to wear an how 'chuffed' it made her feel. She told me how she felt privileged to work there, saying, "I didn't even mind cleaning the rubbish because I had a sense of pride in the place'' 

Jan's main job was cleaning but sometimes she would be involved in setting up for events and she especially loved helping out at the tea dances and meeting the old people. She also recalled a particularly spectacular event, when she watched the Royal Marines band playing whilst marching up and down on the dance floor.

Telling me how she liked to spend her breaks outside having a cup of tea whilst watching the ferries go by she said, "There was such an atmosphere to the place and I loved watching the sea."

I asked her if she could sum up her time working there, to which she replied, "I really loved working there, I felt part of a team.......it made me feel happy."

Listening to Jan,  you realise that the pier is more than just a building...it's a part of our heritage that many people are proud of.