Fundraising family stop off in town on whirlwind tour of country's piers

Simon and Ruth Chadwick and their son Alex travelled nearly 2,500 miles in 10 days, visiting dozens of British Victorian promenade and pleasure piers in two hand-built, VW based beach buggies.

The challenge was to raise money for Breast Cancer Care and Cancer Research UK following Ruth’s own battle with breast cancer.

The trio, joined by family friend George Meakin, set off from Oldbury in the West Midlands on Friday, August 12, visiting piers in Aberystwyth, Bangor, Beaumaris, Llandudno and Colwyn Bay on the first day.

On the seventh day of the challenge, the group visited Hastings Pier before heading west to Eastbourne, Brighton, Worthing and Bognor Regis. They completed the challenge on Monday, August 22 at Mumbles Pier in Swansea.

Posting on the Pier Pressure Facebook page after their visiting to Hastings, the family said: “Day 7: Pier 30 - Hastings. Earlier start to get there before 10am so we could get onto the pier itself. We were met by Matt and allowed to drive all the way down to the pier head and parked outside their lovely café for breakfast. Amazing as the pier has only just reopened after being beautifully renovated. There’s even a building on the pier made from timbers saved and reclaimed after the previous pier burned down. Well worth a visit to Hastings Pier if you’re down that way.”

They were joined on Hastings Pier by James Horsley and Robert Wren in their own beach buggies.

The family has raised more than £5,880. To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/teams/pierpressure2016. Visit www.pierpressure2016.co.uk for more details of the challenge.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage at www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/ 2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hastingsobserver

3) Follow us on Twitter @HastingsObs

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Hastings Observer - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.