A NEW exhibition is being staged to celebrate 150 years of entertainment in Clacton.

The event will be put on in the Jolly Roger Theatre on Clacton Pier and will run every day throughout August.

The project is a collaboration between the pier and Clacton and District Local History Society and will feature photos and information on a range of attractions which have brought visitors flooding to the resort.

These include Butlin’s, On The Prom, Beach Entertainment, The Jolly Roger, Clacton Pier, The Pavilion Fun Park and Cinemas.

Norman Jacobs, Chairman of the society, said he expects that it will attract a lot of interest.

“We have gathered up a host of old photos and told the story of entertainment that has lit up the town over the years,” he said. “We have a rich history going back to Victorian times and it is a story worth telling to both residents and visitors alike.”

The exhibition begins on August 1 and will close on August 31, open daily from 11am to 3pm.

As part of Clacton Pier’s support for Year of the Pier 2023 there will also be a large display of vintage posters of piers around the British coast from August 5.

Pier director Billy Ball said he is delighted to get the Jolly Roger back open to the public and it gives people the chance to look inside the building which was put up in 1893.

“It was the first significant structure to go up on the pier and for those who have never been in there it is worth a visit in itself,” he added.

“In recent years it has hosted circuses, children’s shows and last year we had an exhibition to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the pier.

“It proved popular and Norman and the society suggested repeating the exercise but celebrating Clacton’s rich legacy of providing top seaside entertainment.”

Mr Ball said it is the pier’s future intention to rejuvenate the Jolly Roger into a multi-use building, depending on finance being available.

Clacton Pier The First 150 Years, a book written by Norman Jacobs, will also be on sale at the exhibition.