The Palace Pier is back - and charging entrance fee

[GT49er]

I deal with the pier a lot on the retail side of things. Each year they get 10 million visitors but standing at the exit it is surprising how many people just go for a stroll on the pier. The odd drink, chips or candy floss maybe, but the vast majority spend nothing. Yes it is expensive but it's the Brighton Pier, what do you expect? So it's that 6 million people they want money from.
Incidently, anyone who says credit cards cost too much to accept, £1 on a card!!!

FFS, what's the beef with paying a quid? Most visitors probably just do go for a stroll, without spending anything further. When I was a kid, we used to go on the pier, but didn't spend anything but the entrance fee - Mum and Dad might have given me some (old) pennies (and not very many!) to waste in the slot machines, or the grab a prize and drop it just before you could get it out machines - but never bought drinks, food, other refreshments, had our fortune told or anything. I think I once paid for my daughter to have a ride on the helter-skelter, but that would have gone to the concessionaires, not direct to the pier.
It must cost a huge wedge to keep that structure secure and safe - so who do people think should pay, other than those wanting a stroll in the bracing sea air?

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

FFS, what's the beef with paying a quid?

Matter of principle innit? When we go on the pier we usually spend a few quid on beer and food knowing full well it’s overpriced compared to back on terra ferma. I personally feel this is enough.

However, “the principal” aside this may well reduce numbers as there will now be a barrier and any sort of casual “shall we go on the pier?” coming from passing groups.
Preciously any members of this hypothetical group would just walk on reluctantly to appease the others that want to go on. If they’ve now got to queue up, put their hand in their pocket (even if it is only a quid) it now creates more thinking/moaning time and makes the silent minority more vocal, “nah I can’t be arsed/let’s go to the pub etc”

Also if you’ve got mum, dad, granny and two kids, that’s a fiver so you’re now in paper (or polysummink) money scenario, it’s no longer “paying a quid”

 

[GT49er]

Matter of principle innit? When we go on the pier we usually spend a few quid on beer and food knowing full well it’s overpriced compared to back on terra ferma. I personally feel this is enough.

However, “the principal” aside this may well reduce numbers as there will now be a barrier and any sort of casual “shall we go on the pier?” coming from passing groups.
Preciously any members of this hypothetical group would just walk on reluctantly to appease the others that want to go on. If they’ve now got to queue up, put their hand in their pocket (even if it is only a quid) it now creates more thinking/moaning time and makes the silent minority more vocal, “nah I can’t be arsed/let’s go to the pub etc”

Also if you’ve got mum, dad, granny and two kids, that’s a fiver so you’re now in paper (or polysummink) money scenario, it’s no longer “paying a quid”

Chalk Pits museum, Open Air museum, Pevensey Castle, the Pavilion, various fancy gardens, and big houses, Drusillas, NT properties - all tourist attractions, all charge an entry fee. Is the Aquarium still there? Free, is it?

So why should the Palace Pier suddenly be a freebie? What's the difference?

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Chalk Pits museum, Open Air museum, Pevensey Castle, the Pavilion, various fancy gardens, and big houses, Drusillas, NT properties - all tourist attractions, all charge an entry fee. Is the Aquarium still there? Free, is it?

So why should the Palace Pier suddenly be a freebie? What's the difference?

Because, compared to those other places listed, the Palace/Brighton pier is SHITEHOUSE

 

[GT49er]

Because, compared to those other places listed, the Palace/Brighton pier is SHITEHOUSE

So don't go there then. I get pissed off with some of the posh gardens that charge entry. Some of those are shitehouse too, just a load of old plants..

.....and they're not at the seaside!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

So don't go there then. I get pissed off with some of the posh gardens that charge entry. Some of those are shitehouse too, just a load of old plants..

.....and they're not at the seaside!

I was half-joking, although I don't actually go there that often. And I'm with you - some of the costs to get into mediocre places makes me wonder what I'm ACTUALLY paying for.

 

[Justice]

I’d rather throw my £1 coin at Stuart Attwell and/or Antony Taylor than pay to go on the pier.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

So why should the Palace Pier suddenly be a freebie? What's the difference?

The difference is my comment on lines 2 & 3 making your comparison redundant.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Chalk Pits museum, Open Air museum, Pevensey Castle, the Pavilion, various fancy gardens, and big houses, Drusillas, NT properties - all tourist attractions, all charge an entry fee. Is the Aquarium still there? Free, is it?

So why should the Palace Pier suddenly be a freebie? What's the difference?

Because the examples you use all charge an entrance fee but once in everything in the attraction is included in the entrance fee. With the pier you will need to pay to enter and then pay again to use the attractions. If people just want a bracing sea walk they'll just do it for free along the seafront now and the chance of any spur of the moment purchases the pier will have lost. It's a false economy - not that I'm overly fussed as I haven't been on the pier for years.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

not that I'm overly fussed as I haven't been on the pier for years.

I'm going to make a sweeping assumption that most of the people who are either a) aware of this, or b) are complaining about it, haven't been on the pier for years.

And no, individual posters replying to me to insist that they go down it on a whim every other day aren't going to change my mind on that.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I'm going to make a sweeping assumption that most of the people who are either a) aware of this, or b) are complaining about it, haven't been on the pier for years.

And no, individual posters replying to me to insist that they go down it on a whim every other day aren't going to change my mind on that.

I've got a sneaking feeling you're lumping me into bracket b. I'm not complaining - I just don't see the business sense in the plan. I remember when you used to have to pay to get into the marina. Most families did as an occassional treat. Once it was free people used to, and still do, go loads.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I've got a sneaking feeling you're lumping me into bracket b. I'm not complaining - I just don't see the business sense in the plan. I remember when you used to have to pay to get into the marina. Most families did as an occassional treat. Once it was free people used to, and still do, go loads.

Not really, you just happened to have mentioned that you'd not been on it for ages so it made sense to reply to it.

 

[HeaviestTed]

You must know SOMEONE with a BN postcode.

PBOBE needs to get down there and demand access to the pier is included in the Amex game day travel. If not PBOBE OUT.

 

[HeaviestTed]

I've got a sneaking feeling you're lumping me into bracket b. I'm not complaining - I just don't see the business sense in the plan. I remember when you used to have to pay to get into the marina. Most families did as an occassional treat. Once it was free people used to, and still do, go loads.

If they get 10 million annual visitors then I see ten million reasons to like the business plan.

The food places can offer a “£1 off with your entry ticket” as a way to please their guests.