Last Monday we went to Weston-super-Mare to see the sand sculptures. We also walked out along the Grand Pier and had a look at the Pavilion (which I was intrigued to find, housed a climbing wall somewhere amongst all the other amusements).
Today, a week later, the pier was seriously damaged by fire and the pavilion was destroyed, which is a bit sad, because - despite what John Cleese says - I rather enjoyed my visit to Weston last week.
This photo was taken when I cycled to Weston on a bike ride in February. It seems odd that I would end up with two trips there (so far) in one year, when I've been in Bristol to 20 years and never been there before.
I hope the pier - which was only recently refurbished by it's new owners - will be restored to it's former glory.
1 comment:
It is a terrible shame. British seaside piers are one of my favourite things, I like to think of them as the perfect expression of Victorian hubris. The trouble is that they're expensive to maintain, and given their challenging environment, prone to fall steeply into decline unless tirelessly maintained. And even if they manage to avoid rusting into the sea, the buggers are always burning down, or getting hit by boats.
It does sound like the owners intend to have a good crack at restoring it completely, going by news reports I've read.
The trouble is that it's a costly business, and I'm not entirely that they're a good enough tourist draw to earn their keep these days, thereby not really sustainable as a private enterprise. Last time I visited Hastings pier, it was shuttered up and recently bankrupt
Weston, of course is already blessed by another particularly special pier, sitting practically derelict for fifteen or twenty years now.
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