I've always had a love of seaside piers, and on 11th December 2003 I became the owner of Victoria Pier. I think I also became the youngest pier owner in the country, at a youthful 31 years of age... no doubt someone will contradict me if that isn't the case!

In the past I have operated vintage fairground rides and vintage penny slot machine arcades - so a pier is a kind of natural progression you might say.

My main business "Antique Amusement Co." publishes the AAM - the only full colour monthly magazine in the world devoted to the subjects of vintage coin-operated machines, vintage fairgrounds and theme parks and seaside piers. We also organise the world's biggest regular auctions of vintage amusement equipment, and are the only auctioneers in the UK licensed by the Gaming Board to legally sell vintage gaming machines.

I'm a mad collector of all sorts of things, mainly vintage slot machines and fairground items, also ice cream artefacts, art deco, and of course pier memorabilia... Victoria Pier is the largest item in my collection... so far!

FAQ's

Why did you buy Victoria Pier?
Because I've always wanted a pier, and I like a challenge...

How much did it cost?
An undisclosed six-figure sum - I sold my house in order to buy it (and if I had a pound for every time I get asked this question, I think I could pay for the complete restoration tomorrow!)

What are you going to do with it?
Restore it, and make it viable and vibrant once again - that's the plan.

How much will it cost to restore?
The last proper estimate was in an £80,000 seafront study commissioned by the Council in 2001 - the experts then said £2.6m. Given the fact that deterioration gets worse with time, and costs increase constantly, the figure is now thought to be "somewhere between £3 - 4 million"

So are you an eccentric millionaire??
Well I suppose anyone who buys an enormous 104 year old iron structure standing in salt water probably ought to have their marbles checked?