THE driving force behind Southend Pier’s museum is stepping down after more than thirty years.

The Southend Pier Museum Trust was set up during a campaign to save the Pier in the early 1980s when Southend Council announced it could be closed.

The campaign was spearheaded by Peggy Dowie, now 85, who became chairman of the museum trust.

Peggy, who lives in Southchurch, admits she is never too far from the pier, living “just up the road”.

And the dedication has not faltered since the 1980s, with Peggy regularly referred to as “The Pier Lady” while staff regularly chant “No Peggy, no pier” when she comes to work.

The museum, in an old Victorian workshop below the pier, followed on from the successful campaign with the aim of exploring the pier’s heritage and opened in 1991.

The Grade II workshop, once used for maintenance of the pier and its trains, was used to house salvaged trains.

The 1890 “toast rack” carriage on display in the museum was being used as a shed when it was salvaged.

It was found in a garden in Benfleet and rescued by Peggy and her colleagues who instantly recognised it despite its state of disrepair.

The museum is also home to a scale model of the original 1885 pier entrance, which was demolished in 1931.

Recalling the early years, Peggy said: “I founded the museum back in 1986 after campaigning long and hard with a handful of pier enthusiasts, including my husband Ron, for many years to persuade the council to keep the pier open after they wanted to close it permanently after the Pier head fire of 1976.

“We organised and managed Pier Festivals with entertainment to draw thousands to the Pier, and lobbied the council at numerous meetings and so on.

“We eventually succeeded and after that victory, Ron and I had the concept of a museum to preserve our famous pier’s history for future generations, and set about first of all, salvaging the scrapped Green and Cream 1949 Pier Trains which we lovingly restored in the former Pier Train Workshops, which is where the museum has been for 33 years.

“From 1986-1989, three years of extremely hard work ensued with myself, Ron, an adept builder and decorator, two young lads, Matthew and Jonathon, and another adult, Brian, and his young son, Simon.

“We opened to the Public on July 8 1989 and the collection has grown over the years during which I have created numerous displays and exhibitions as voluntary manager until I retired.”

One of Peggy’s highlights over the years is the impact the pier and subsequently the museum has had, admitting it has done “a great deal in terms of leisure and tourism and in terms of education to the many schools and groups I have given talks to, and also in bringing back people’s fond memories of the Pier.”

And it has always been a family affair at the pier, with the ticket box, pictured, being built by Peggy’s husband Ron.

The Victorian Toast Rack Tram was recovered and restored by Peggy, after she found it being used as a chicken shed in a Benfleet garden.