From Number 1 North Sea to Orlando

  • 21 January, 2019
  • On the pier

In 2009 the new owners of Clacton Pier sold the
last six remaining old dodgem cars and replaced them with a new fleet.

Now a whole decade later, one of those cars
has turned up as a display feature in a Ted Baker store in America.

It has been repurposed as a retro table in the
store in Orlando, Florida, and was spotted by a friend of Billy and Elliot
Ball, who bought the Pier ten years ago.

“I was sent a photo of the car on social media
at the weekend and it is easy to identify that it is one of those we offloaded
soon after we took over,” said director Billy Ball.

“Although it has been refurbished and
undergone some changes the Pier logo, as it was when the Harrison family were
the owners before us, is clearly visible on the bonnet.

“It looks really effective in the Ted Baker
store and they have made a very special feature of it. It is not something I
would have thought of as an alternative use!

“We never expected one of the cars to turn up
in a shop in the States when we sold them off all those years ago and it is great
to find out it has a new and useful life thousands of miles across the Atlantic.”

Mr Ball said he will be trying to find out how
the car made its way there and how long it has been in the store.

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