Clacton Pier’s oldest ride is in for a significant winter facelift.
The 75-year-old Helter Skelter, one of the most iconic and popular attractions on the site, has started to be taken down and the job will be completed this week.
The 50ft ride, which is also known as a slip, will be repaired and repainted with some of the work carried out in-house and some parts sent away to a specialist.
The scheme will take around ten to 12 weeks and the Helter Skelter is expected to be back in place ready for Easter.
General Manager Harry Peek said the ride stands out as a major feature on the pier and will be missed, even for a short time.
“It has previously wintered away when it was part of Christmas celebrations in Cardiff and Edinburgh but has remained on site since 2021 when it was made more secure to withstand the winds and winter weather,” he added.
“It’s now time for it to get a major makeover so it can continue to play its full part in our diverse offering providing enjoyment for many years to come.
“We feel it is very important that we retain a good mix of our much-loved traditional rides, as well as introduce modern ones.”
The Helter Skelter was built by English specialist firm Supercar in 1949 and brought to the pier in the 1970s before being sold on by the then owners.
When Billy and Elliot Ball bought the pier in 2009 one of the first things they did was get the ride back as a statement of their intentions to restore the pier to its former glory.
The ride sustained storm damage in 70mph winds four years later and there were fears it had been destroyed beyond repair.
But the Balls, who had bought it from friends of their family, were determined that it should not be lost and paid for it to be meticulously rebuilt and restored and it returned in May 2016.
During this winter’s maintenance programme other rides which are getting more than just their annual makeover include the Wheel, Go-Karts and Race’O’Rama.
Rides will open up again from December 27 when they will operate at weekends and during school holidays.
