lit a candle 1h agoI don't really know what to say here, we walked that pier on a trip to the island years back, my wife still talks about the arcade lights. 63 is no age at all.
Their story
Wayne Peak, full name George Wayne Peak, was the Isle of Wight businessman known locally as Mr Sandown Pier, the public face of the seaside attraction his family had owned since buying it from the council in 1984. He died in hospital on Sunday 18 October 2026 after a short…
Wayne Peak, full name George Wayne Peak, was the Isle of Wight businessman known locally as Mr Sandown Pier, the public face of the seaside attraction his family had owned since buying it from the council in 1984. He died in hospital on Sunday 18 October 2026 after a short illness, aged 63. Trade titles and the Isle of Wight County Press recorded an outpouring of affection from islanders and from the UK amusement industry, where he was a long standing Bacta member.
His father, George Peak, had run the amusement side of the pier from 1973 and took on the pier itself in 1984. Wayne later directed the business with his son Ellery, while Elizabeth Peak also served as a director, so that three generations of the family were bound up with the landmark. The pier remained one of Sandown's best known tourist attractions, combining a Family Entertainment Centre with an Adult Gaming Centre. Wayne argued publicly that machine revenue kept the whole pier viable and paid for the wider tourist offer that visitors associated with a traditional British seaside day out.
That argument became national industry news in late 2025 when he and Ellery warned that a proposed rise in Machine Games Duty from 20 to 50 percent on higher stake machines would close Sandown Pier within months and that no pier or amusement park in the country could survive the change. Isle of Wight East MP Joe Robertson echoed concern that such a rise would hit family friendly seaside arcades, cost jobs and harm local tourism. The episode showed how closely Wayne's personal fortunes were tied to the pier's and how willing he was to speak for the coastal leisure trade.
Bacta president Joseph Cullis told members that Wayne was a well known and valued figure with strong connections to many showmen families, and that he would be remembered fondly across the sector. He leaves his wife Elizabeth and three sons, Ellery, Jordan and Mac. A celebration of life service was arranged for 2.15 p.m. on Tuesday 10 November 2026 at the Isle of Wight Crematorium. Elizabeth requested family flowers only, with those wishing to pay tribute invited to make donations in his memory to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. No further medical detail about his final illness was released.
Biography adapted from Amusements and Attractions (David Snook, 28 October 2026); Coinslot / Bacta; Isle of Wight County Press death notice and reporting.
Photos
1Wayne Peak (left) with son Ellery Peak, directors of Sandown Pier
by People Forever
Same, stopped there on a ferry layover once. Didn't know his name till now.