Southend pier celebrates another summer of stagnation since the major blaze there in 1976 and once again dithering over its future continues.

This time ruddy turnstones are being blamed for scaled-back plans and delays, which is similar to the rail companies blaming the wrong sort of snow in winter. How convenient.

In all, we have seen 35 years pass where Southend’s main iconic structure has been left in the doldrums.

Those who remember the pier in happier days are mainly well into their senior years, so no younger folk will hold the structure with the same affection by looking back to those thriving iconic years.

The pier desperately needs a major injection of life to inspire a new generation of young folk.

Unfortunately today’s younger generation can only regard the pier as a non-entity as that's all they have seen.

Local history will certainly blame those who had responsibility in looking after the Old Iron Lady.

So far, all have failed miserably.

They simply have had no understanding what it takes and should have passed it across to those who do decades ago.

The reality is another wasted summer of opportunity, as has been the case since 1976.

Will we be saying this all again in another year’s time? Odds on, we will.

Chris Jones
Hollytree Gardens
Rayleigh