“Scheveningse Pier nu echt op slot”

“Scheveningse Pier definitely locked down now”

Photo: ANP

Remember we told you about the bankruptcy of our prestigious Kurhaus last February? ( If you don’t, feel free to catch up on this old quote here).

Last Friday, the Pier, another beloved icon of our Scheveningse coast, closed down for good, after the Den Haag municipality decided that the Pier did not comply with the last fire safety regulations.

To me, this is a great loss. As a provincial girl, I was highly impressed by Scheveningen: the beach the boulevard, the stately Kurhaus and the glass restaurant which was actually built in the sea! Amazing! Walking the Pier felt like walking on water to me.

I just turned twelve, when I walked the Pier for the first time. We were celebrating that I just completed primary school by having our very first family dinner outside our hometown – in a restaurant floating above the sea! My brothers and I were delighted by the glass windows, the waiters in their black suits and the desserts and beamingly pretended that we were in Goede Tijden Slechte Tijden. To three primary school kids from a rather small town, this was living the good life – apparently unwittingly taking a great fire related risk there.

I am sure that the Pier will evoke similar warm memories in a lot of my fellow Dutchies. I feel sad that it has been close down for good (but probably not as sad as the man who tied himself to a pole in protest). The AD published a photo series today, that catches the sadness quite well.

Please have a look and see the sad last day of a place that must have felt like a glass palace to many silly village girls like me.