Southsea’s iconic Victorian pier re-opened to the public on Friday, after being closed for five years. Crowds of visitors joined The Lord Mayor, the Lady Mayoress, Wonder Woman, Spiderman and fairytale princesses, all eager to see the results of the £5m investment. It’s part of phased re-opening over the coming months.

A shiny new amusement arcade was unveiled along with access to walkways on either side of the pier.

As well as enjoying the street-front Ice Cream Emporium, visitors were able to walk up as far as the former Albert Tavern, where there was live music, drinks and food on offer.  The pier was formerly opened by The Lord Mayor, Councillor David Fuller.

While only a portion of the pier was open this weekend, plans for the more cafes and restaurants, the Gaiety function room, a zip wire, rides, more cafes and an ice cream parlour are all in the pipeline for the coming months.  It’s also hoped that there’ll be access right up to the end of the pier by the end of the summer.

For more information, take a look at The People’s Pier Facebook page: www.facebook.com/thepeoplespier