Post by Dave on May 5, 2013 18:04:40 GMT
Weston-Super-Mare Special Pier Report 5/5/2013
Every good seaside resort should in my view, have a pier and it’s always tragic when you learn one of them has burnt to the ground. The Victorians loved their piers, to them it was just like walking on water, mind you for that feeling to happen at Weston Super Mare, you had better hope the tide is in. when the tide is out its just too far to even walk to the edge of the water, not that you would want to do that as once you get past the sandy beach, its mud all the way after that. Talking of mud I have to say the sea looked a very dirty brown when the tide did start to come in, it certainly did not look very inviting for a late afternoon dip, not that I was planning to have one by the way.
I have only once ever been on the old Weston Pier and that was well over 35 years ago, I know I was impressed with it and it sure had plenty of character. I did spend the day in Weston about 15 years ago, but it was out of season and the pier was closed and I was rather disappointed that day that I was not able to go on it. While I do go to Weston twice a week in my works van, the area I go is on the other side of Weston and not the town and beach side.
I was driving up to Weston the morning the pier caught on fire, I heard it on the news and as I got close to J22 on the M5, I could see the smoke all they way from there, so I knew it was a very big fire indeed. The word in Weston at the time was the owner had wanted to build a casino on the pier, but planning permission was turned down, not long afterwards it burns down and hey presto, the new higher main building has a casino on the top floor. I’m not in anyway suggesting the fire had anything to do with the owner’s wishes to have a casino on the pier, but I’m sure there will be people who think that might be the case.
When some structure is very old and gets burnt down, I never feel it can ever be restored the way that it was. If you take a look at the very old Victorian pavilion type small pier structure at nearby Burnham On Sea, the first thing that hits you is just how old it looks. While it is in need of being done up a bit, should it ever get destroyed, it could never be rebuilt to look the same.
The rebuilt new Weston Pier has not been built with the idea of trying to replace like for like. while the main feature of the old pier its four main towers has been kept in the design of the new building, the rest has been built in a very modern way and in fact the building has the words Grand Pier 2010 on the front of it.
We left Paignton early enough to be in Weston before 11am, just as well as not long after so many cars were pouring in and all looking for somewhere to park. I knew a back street on the north end of the beach I thought we might be able to park in as both car parks we tried were already full. As luck would have it there was one space left and I soon had the car parked in it.
It was a good tidy walk from the car to the pier itself and we first passed what is best described as a large sea water pool that has a small beach at one end. It’s ideal for when the tide is out and safe for children as it did not look to be very deep. It was not the cleanest water I have ever seen but as I said good enough to use when the tide is out or you are looking for a safe place where the children can play in the water.
One thing we noticed was just how much there was to do for the children, good parks beside the beach and other attractions either on the beach or very close by. Weston is also a very clean place and very well looked after, Torbay would do well to try and learn from Weston Super Mare. Maybe because the sea does end up so far away from the beach when the tide is out, is part of the reason so many other things have been put in place. Weston enjoys a very long beach and I would imagine it would take a good while to walk its whole length, for me the only thing that does spoil it is the fact the water at low tide is just too far out.
Before I get onto the new pier I just want to say if you are planning to eat at Weston, look around before you decide where to eat. One seaside café charges nearly £8 for fish and chips and another one across the road and a bit further up is asking just £4. A big difference if you are there with the family and have more than one mouth to feed.
The entrance to the pier is still the same one as the fire was the main building on the end of the pier. There is now a covered walked way down the middle of the pier and a land train ride starts on one side of it, up to the main building and back down the other side. You will soon know when this train is behind you as the driver sounds his very loud horn. Lyn seems to remember when she last went on the pier over 30 years ago that this first of the pier had a funfair on it, does anyone remember that?
Once inside the new pier building you are greeted by the normal slot machines etc you will find on any pier. The inside has an almost mall feeling to it as there is the main centre and a balcony above that goes around the building. There is a moving staircase on the left hand side of the building that takes you up to the upper level and one on the other side to bring you back down again. There is a fine looking go-cart track on the upper level that had a very large queue of people wanting to have a go on it.
Back down stairs and there are such things as a 4D cinema, crystal maze, bumping cars to name but a few, we both thought it was slightly to dark inside the building and was a bit to noisy. The pier must take a great deal of money as so many of the attractions on it cost around £5, there were two F1 ride on simulators that cost £5 for the driver and £2 each for the two passengers who could also go on it. There was special deal on for the day for children, an all day pass for the rides at just under ten pounds, so that at least was good value and in my view a very sensible thing to do.
What has been packed inside the new pier building is amazing, but it did not seem as big as I remembered it, while I’m so pleased the pier was rebuilt, it just lacks character for me if I’m honest, I much prefer the pier we have here in Paignton. It just feels like an old seaside pier should feel, complete with large gaps in the planking.
While we were on the pier there was a wonderful stunt motorbike show across the road taking place, as my camera has an excellent zoom lens and can take lots of shots at once, I was able to take some good pictures, it’s a good job as by the time we got off the pier and close to the event, it had finished.
One final point, where were all the seagulls? We did not see one single bird and I can’t remember ever going to any seaside town and not ever seeing seagulls, have they shot them all? Well it would be a perfect place for someone I know who is called Phil, he hates to bloody things down here in Torbay.
An old shot of the old pier
The big fire
Pictures taken in Weston today
