End of the Pier Show

 This is not another post about David Rogers' current Pier2Peer fundraising through December 2023, See his Fund raising page here for that.

Last night I went over to Cromer Pier for a special screening of Jens Meurer's film 'Seaside Special'.

This is a documentary which was shot on crisp 16mm Kodak film, which gives it a special 'glow'.

'Seaside Special' follows Norfolk’s Cromer Pier Show over the course of a year, from the perspective of the performers, and the seaside town’s locals. It is 'narrated' by Olly Day - a local legend. The film has had excellent reviews.

Here's the synopsis of the film on a German film site:

SEASIDE SPECIAL is a love letter to Brexit Britain: a consciously warm-hearted look at Britain's only remaining “End-of-the-Pier” variety show – far away from London – as the town of Cromer and the cast prepare for the 2019 summer season.
The film portrays a town from a different time, full of quintessentially British types, but which also offers a highly topical outlook: It's about attitude, craftsmanship, and authenticity. It’s about community and values, about the humor of our British neighbors, their originality, and their quirks – which we as Europeans will sorely miss.

It also ends with the arrival of COVID-19, which threatened to mean the end of the show altogether.

The trailer, made for its Premiere at the Cambridge Film Festival, can be seen below:

This was a 'seaside' special screening because it took place in the very Pavilion Theatre where the show takes place, and which was at the centre of the film.

There was a collection for Macmillan Cancer in honour of Cromer fisherman and councillor John Lee. He ran a crab stall on New Street and was a regular fixture of the beach for many decades, and he appears in the film. His family were in the audience. He passed away a few months ago. 

The director was also there, along with Olly Day, for a Q and A, along with other people who appear in the film. 

The theatre staff who put on the Summer and Christmas specials were also present, up in the balcony.

This was a lovely example of topophilia. 

The director has a family connection with Cromer, and he has been welcomed into the town and become great friends with many of the people connected with the making of the film. He has returned numerous times. 

The film communicates the special sense of place that the town has - closer to Amsterdam than to London - and a definite community. The Pier and the end of the pier show is an integral part of that identity, and the fishermen on the beach are too.

If you get the chance to see the film I can heartily recommend it. And as Olly Day said, there are still tickets available for this year's Christmas show.

Image: Cromer Pier, December - Alan Parkinson - shared under CC license