My local pier has almost burnt down
By maximax8
@maximax8 (31053)
United Kingdom
July 28, 2008 3:11am CST
This morning I heard news that my home town's pier had a fire about 7am and much of it has burned down. The fire engines couldn't get close to it and the tide was far out. I feel so sad about this terrible event. I just saw it on the news and the pictures were very upsetting.
Everyone in my local town feels sad because it is our greatest land mark. It was a place for a stroll and beautiful sea views. The owners spent lots of money improving it since they bought it six months ago. Now it is just ruined.
The Grand Pier of Weston super Mare
1 person likes this
7 responses
@austinbell (491)
•
28 Jul 08
I have just seen this on the news headlines when I logged onto my computer. What a terrible shame. I love going onto the pier when we are on holiday it takes you back to childhood, I suppose it is slightly old fashioned but you always see a crowd on there so I am not the only one.
1 person likes this
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
28 Jul 08
Wow! what is it with piers, they have a bad reputation of being burnt down or blown away!
Isle of Wight for example has had its BIG share of pier disasters, Ventnor, Shanklin and Sandown piers all hit the news when they were partially destroyed.
Brighton West Pier was also destroyed and for years laid in ruins
Margate pier in Kent went decades ago too
Southend pier suffered fire too
Probably more but it just seems like piers are slowly disappearing and they are a great landmark
Sorry to hear the news about Weston Super Mare, was it an insurance job? or was it plain arson?
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
28 Jul 08
Yes, piers have not had a great time since they were built. There is another pier in Weston that is disused and it would cost too much to make it decent for people to go on again. I think that it is lovely to keep historical buildings and great landmarks. The Grand Pier was owned by three generations, then sold to a brother and sister. They have spent lots on it so I hope they have a good insurance policy Wolfie. I guess that there might have been an electrical fault on one of the amusements. Yesterday the pier was full of people so it is lucky it didn't happen then my friend.
@spoiled311 (5500)
• Philippines
28 Jul 08
oh that is sooo sad...but why did it happen?
i mean, what started the fire? were there other areas that were affected? what about fatalities? i hope there are none.
that will really take a long time to re-build.
take care!
@gtargirl (5376)
• United States
30 Jul 08
I know that it will never be the same, Maximax, but I hope they rebuild it.
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
28 Jul 08
Hi maximax8! Oh, I am so sorry to hear that. I hope that somehow they will try to rebuild it. It must be terrible for all the people in your community fro seeing this beautiful landmark to burn down but I do wish that soon, it will rise again and all of you will enjoy it once again.
Take care and God Bless!
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
28 Jul 08
Hi Faith. Thanks for hoping that my home town's amazing pier will be rebuilt one day soon. I was our best landmark and only the entrance of it has survived. It was horrible to see all the smoke and the water hoses trying to put this out. The area was very busy with fire engines and lots of police cars. The police closed off the area but it was still quite easy to see what was going on. Take care and best wishes.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
28 Jul 08
Hi Ellie. Thanks for your kind comments my friend. The Grand Pier was Weston super Mare's biggest attraction. I think that the loss of our wonderful pier will mean less tourists. I really hope that it will be rebuilt. It was built in 1904 and it had a fire in 1930 and it was alright again by 1933.
1 person likes this
@ellie333 (21016)
•
28 Jul 08
Hi Maxine, I am sure they will rebuild as the main struture fine and because it was the hub of Weston-super-Mare too. I am sure the locals will petition for it to be also. You still have the lovely beach and if in the thirties it only took three years for it to be rebuilt in this day and age it will take far less time to do, meanwhile you will get the tourists coming to see it burnt as they do, we had this when the Napoli sunk nearby to where I am and then once done it will be back to the same hustly bustly pier. Ellie :D
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
1 Aug 08
You live near there do you? I was really sad to hear this on the news it is just terrible. I hope that they find out the cause of it and I really hope that it was not done on purpose because that would be even worse. I have never been to weston super mare but my hubby has and he was quite shocked about it too.
