Watch: Hundreds soak up the sun as three-day Southend Pier extravaganza kicks off

THE sun shone on Southend Pier for the first two days of the attraction’s three-day bank holiday extravaganza.

Hundreds of revellers soaked up the sunshine and travelled along the world’s longest pleasure pier to soak up the rays and the buzzing atmosphere for the start of the three-day event on Saturday.

The entertainment on Saturday was led by the Old Time Sailors, a group known for their maritime-themed performances.

The Valley of the Dolls DJs, an all-female DJ collective, brought a party atmosphere to the pier later in the day.

On Sunday, pier-goers can look forward to music from the Silver Darlings, an all-female shanty crew from Southend, and gypsy-jazz and Latin music from the Essex-based duo Levent and Taylor.

Barbara Haslam was among the visitors who flocked to the pier on Saturday and said it was “lovely listening to the Old Time Sailors”.

“The cocktails were good too,” she added.

Southend resident Alison Court had a “brilliant afternoon” and enjoyed the “lovely music”, while Beverley Mackenzie said she had “a lovely couple of hours watching the singing and dancing”.

The fun continues again on Monday for the final day of the long weekend, with the Dusty Peddlers, a four-piece group from Leigh, set to perform foot-stomping, country, folk and rock ‘n’ roll music.

Fun - a member of the Old Time Sailors on Saturday (Image: Southend Council)

Music - the Old Time Sailors on Southend Pier on Saturday (Image: Southend Council)

They will be joined by Stewart H, the resident DJ at the Essex-based radio station Funky SX, who will fill the pier with funky beats.

Over the weekend, the Offshore Restaurant at the top of the pier has been a hotspot for visitors to enjoy artisan gin and rum cocktails.

Mark Harvey, executive director for adults and communities at Southend Council, said: “Following our prestigious Pier of the Year award last year, which saw us triumph over the likes of Brighton Pier and Cromer Pier, we have kept the momentum going, delivering an exciting mix of events for all ages on our pier.

“These events are key in drawing new visitors to our pier as well as providing great entertainment for our residents, and there’s plenty more in store over the coming months.”

The pier is open between 10.15am and 6pm on Monday. All performances are free, although the pier’s usual admission prices apply.