Pier destroyed in fire at Weston-Super-Mare
By Wolfechu
@Wolfechu (1193)
United States
July 29, 2008 11:20am CST
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/28/firefighters?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
They're planning to rebuild, apparently, but it's one of the few seaside resorts in the UK I've never actually been to. It always comes across as a bit crap, like Margate or Bognor when they mention it on the telly.
So, question is: Did I miss much? Have you been, and was the pier something to behold, like the Victorian one in Brighton? Or was it a bit naff and overdone, like the one in Blackpool?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@frankiecesca (2489)
•
30 Jul 08
I too have never been - even if they rebuild it now though it's not the original which is a great shame I suppose for all local residents who have lived there all their life! x
@Wolfechu (1193)
• United States
30 Jul 08
This is what I was thinking, especially somewhere like Weston. 90% of seaside towns nowadays are going under slowly as the tourism trader goes abroad. There's the odd one like Blackpool which thrives (in Blackpool's case, on being as tacky and Chavvish as it can manage), but a few miles down the road, there's places like Morecambe that are like ghost towns. If I had to choose between the two nowadays, I'd rather go and see Eric Morecambe's statue (that's where he got his stage name from, he was born there), than walk along Blackpool front and get fleeced.
@frankiecesca (2489)
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30 Jul 08
lol - I on the other hand love Blackpool for the chavvyness and the tackyness!! : )
@paid2write (5201)
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30 Jul 08
I haven't been to Weston either, but I heard on the news this morning that money from the slot machines on the pier was being washed ashore and people are wading into the sea to find pound coins!
There's a pier where I live in Southsea. It's certainly not a grand Victorian structure but it still has some of original decorative ironwork. The pier has burned down and rebuilt several times, the last time was when Ken Russell used it to shoot scenes for the rock opera Tommy with the Who, and it was accidentally set alight.
@Wolfechu (1193)
• United States
30 Jul 08
That's actually amused us no end. I imagine the next headline will be 'Man drowns on Weston beach - sank with pockets filled with pound coins'.
And for all I'm a Who fan, you'd really think I'd have seen Tommy by now. Seen Quadrophrenia, but somehow never got round to that one.
@michelle23uk (478)
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14 Aug 08
The pier was a big part of weston super mare, it does not have a good beach but the pier was great, there was a cute little train that you could catch to take u from one end to the other, rides, slot machines, we used to spend hors on the pier and have lots of great memories going back years, i am gutted my daughter will never have thos memories,
im gutted the pier has gone and i really hope they do rebuild it, it will be a great shame if they dont and weston will loose alot of there tourists.
