The Friends of the Old Pier Society was formed in 1996 to keep in the public eye the plight of Birnbeck Pier, Weston-super-Mare, that was closed two years earlier. Membership starts at just £5 and is open to anyone – whether you have a connection to Weston, are a pier buff, or simply just care about the nation’s heritage.

The pier, the only one in the country that links the mainland with an island, was purchased by North Somerset Council in 2023, in conjunction with the RNLI and Historic England. With substantial Lottery and Levelling-Up funding having been secured, restoration of parts of the vast site is now finally under way. There will undoubtedly be ups and downs along the way, and funding for the restoration of the facilities on the island still needs to be found, but it’s a very long time since Birnbeck’s future has looked so promising.