November 2017:
Brush Up on your Bournemouth Pier Paddle Steamer Byelaws

On the 18th June 1936 Bournemouth Corporation introduced a new set of byelaws, sanctioned by the Minister of Transport, to regulate the use of Bournemouth Pier to replace an earlier set dated 17th May 1881.

All in all there were forty three of these new byelaws extending to twelve pages. Here is an abridged and small selection which give something of the flavour of the whole:

6. The Master of any vessel shall not cause such vessel to be made fast to the pier if there shall be a red flag at half mast exhibited.

8. Except with the authority of the Piermaster a vessel shall not be coaled and fires not stoked so as to cause smoke while lying alongside the pier.
9. Every vessel shall be provided with a proper gangway and while passengers are being landed or embarked there shall be a crew member at each end of the gangway and during the hours of darkness a third man.
10. The Master of every vessel approaching the Pier shall cause to be put down sufficient fenders of rope or cork.

11. No vessel other than a passenger vessel of gross tonnage not exceeding 800 tons or with a draught of more than 7ft shall traffic at the pier.

15. The Master of a vessel shall not moor his vessel to the Pier after 10 o’clock in the evening or before 9 o’clock in the morning.
16. No person shall land any goods other than personal luggage.
17. No person shall on Sundays land or embark from the Pier.

26. No person shall bathe or attempt to bathe from the Pier.
27. No person shall fish from the Pier.

29. No person shall preach on the Pier.

31. No person on any vessel lying alongside the Pier shall play upon any instrument or operate a wireless loud-speaker.

33. No person shall loiter on the pier for the purpose of prostitution.
34. No person shall throw any stone or other missile from the Pier.

41. No person shall spit on any part of the Pier or leave lighted tobacco or matches.