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Celebrations and music festival planned to mark Hythe pier railway's centenary next month




TWO days of celebrations are planned to mark the centenary of the Hythe pier railway next month.

The railway, which opened in July 1922, is the world’s oldest continuously running electric railway on a pier.

Hythe Pier Heritage Association (HPHA) plan to mark the historic occasion with a series of events on 23rd and 24th July, including a music festival and model exhibition.

Hythe pier railway will mark its centenary in July (picture: Alan Titheridge)
Hythe pier railway will mark its centenary in July (picture: Alan Titheridge)

The celebrations will begin at 11am with cake cutting and free rides along the pier.

The annual music festival, Rock the Pier, will be staged on the promenade from 12.45pm until 7.30pm, with performances from local musicians the Trav Cats, Wire J-D, MagiKats, REMbrandt, When Harri met Alli and the Soulcatchers.

There will be an exhibition of model railways in the community centre in Brintons Lane. Entry is free, but HPHA volunteers will be in attendance if visitors wish to give a donation.

New Forest District Council has announced it will allow free parking in its Jones Lane and New Road car parks on 23rd July to encourage people to attend the celebrations.

Last year's Rock the Pier event (picture: Penny Wade)
Last year's Rock the Pier event (picture: Penny Wade)

The Hythe Shed, which is situated on the quay just 50 yards from the pier, will be open on both days with volunteers available to talk about the restoration projects. Historic artefacts will also be displayed.

All money raised at the events will go towards the continued restoration of the pier and railway.

As reported in the A&T, members of the HPHA, with volunteers from Hythe Shed and engineers from Blue Funnel Ferries, have been busy restoring the railway's carriages, which date from 1922.

The first was completed last year and the second is due to be finished shortly.



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