Designed by the Rogers Brothers, Felixstowe Pier was built by the shady Coastal Development Company in 1905. The company already had piers at Southwold and Lowestoft, and Felixstowe Pier completed their notorious pier ‘triangle of death’, leaving them with the pleasure steamer trade in these parts pretty much sewn-up. However, oft-repeated claims that thugs hired by the company physically threatened the owner of the nearby Walton-on-the-Nase Pier to sell up are completely groundless. At any rate, by 1922, the Coastal Development Company had gone into liquidation, and ownership of the pier passed to the equally mysterious East Coast Piers Ltd.

Despite being built rather late in the day, in pier terms, Felixstowe pier is made of wood, not iron. This option was much more attractive financially and by 1905, science had got its act together and discovered worm-resistant wood, making this a practical option also. Right from the off, the pier was equipped with a state-of-the-art electric tramway, capable of carrying both passengers and luggage. The cost of a one-way ride? A single penny. Sounds cheap, but in 1905 this was equivalent to two years’ wages, or fifty loaves of bread.

In the 1930s, Felixstowe became the hideout for the fag-raddled Mrs Simpson of ‘Edward and Mrs Simpson’ fame, as she waited for her decree nisi. Although there is no documented evidence of her ever visiting the pier, she probably did; after all, she IS known to have frequented a nearby pub known as The Butt & Oyster, so she was clearly no stranger to ‘low’ entertainments.

Like many other piers, Felixstowe was messed up and neglected during the Second World War, when folks found they had more to worry about than a few loose screwpiles. Half the pier ended up being demolished, and has never been rebuilt. Since then, plans have been drawn up from time to time to revitalize the pier, but nothing has ever came of them, and the pier is currently closed to visitors.

Who’d’a thought it?

Andy Gray, founder of “Andy’s Records” (a local lad and no relation to the former international for Scotland), started his vinyl-peddling career by selling records right here on Felixstowe Pier.