The 10th anniversary of One Direction has given an unexpected boost to Clevedon Pier, which was unable to open to visitors during lockdown.
Fans of One Direction have been flocking to the Grade 1 listed pier in North Somerset, after the group issued a video called ‘10 Years of One Direction’ promoted with the hashtag #10YearsOf1D, which shows highlights of the past decade for the group.
The video features footage of Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Liam Payne at Clevedon Pier in March 2014, when they were filming the music video for their hit single ‘You and I’. It has led to One Direction fans from all over the country visiting the Victorian Pier, which lost over £100,000 in income after having to close during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Phil Curme, chairman of Clevedon Pier and Heritage Trust, said:
“This has been a very difficult year for the Pier, but an unexpected highlight has been the way in which Clevedon Pier has been an essential place for One Direction fans to visit, in much the same way as Abbey Road became an
iconic location for fans of The Beatles.
Ever since the release of the ‘10 Years of One Direction’ video on 23 July, we’ve had fans coming to the Pier and taking photos and videos, and looking at the special plaque which was put up to mark the day that the group spent filming here on 23 March 2014.
It’s given the Pier a very welcome boost after we had to close to visitors for nearly 100 days, and now need to attract the support of as many visitors as possible to make up for the revenue lost in that time, which is vital for the £400,000 needed annually to cover running costs and long term maintenance essential to ensuring the survival of the Pier.”
One Direction was formed on The X Factor on 23 July 2010, after Simon Cowell decided that individual contestants Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Liam Payne should instead form a group together. Zayn Malik left the group in March 2015, almost exactly a year after the video for ‘You and I’ was filmed at Clevedon Pier. The music video for ‘You & I’ won a Brit Award in 2014.
Mr Curme added:
“We found out just how dedicated One Direction fans are on the day that filming took place for ‘You and I’. The group had a very long day at the Pier shooting numerous different scenes, and the fans stayed on the seafront from early in the morning until the evening.
When we discovered that a 10th anniversary video for One Direction had come out which featured the Pier, we had no idea that it would generate such interest. However, we’re delighted to be seeing the incredible dedication of 1D fans once again.”
Clevedon Pier, which was built in 1869, is the only Grade I listed pier in the country. It is now open again, although with some restrictions to ensure social distancing.
To find out more visit: https://clevedonpier.co.uk