It’s a Grand Pier

Yes, finally, after just over 2 years, the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare is open again and what a really grand place it is!

We went on Saturday, not to the opening but on opening day so that we could say we’d been – we actually just planned on walking down and back (it was raining) but in the end we did go in … and I’m so glad we did … despite the crowds this is a really impressive place – love it!

In the end we walked around and checked out the Tea Rooms but found ourselves in the pub on the pier drinking Grand Bier, the Grand Pier’s own real ale … yep, this is a good day out for all the family

I took a break to win a Grand Pier bear on the grabber machines – we’d have happily bought one for our grandson William (who was with us) but apparently you had to win them … which was great because I did after only 4 failed attempts … (I actually had 8 plays and picked up a bear 4 times but curiously they kept falling out of the grabber!) …

What you will notice about Michael, as the bear is now called, is that the “Grand” on one paw is upside down .. we’re thinking he’s some kind of “Golden Ticket” special but more likely he’s a bit of a mistake – either way we wouldn’t trade him for a “real” one!

All in all a great visit – I’ll be back lots, after all I live here, so I didn’t mind the queues as I didn’t need to do the rides yet … I will, believe me, but when it is quieter ..

Meanwhile, if you get the chance, come visit our pier, the latest and the greatest in the world!

Weston falling behind?

Today’s announcement that the new Grand Pier is likely to open in August instead of July is a bit of a blow … but there are up-sides to it; I am more likely to be around in August, the Council will be nearer to completing all the works around the area and there’s a bank holiday!

So in all, it’s not too bad. The new seafront looks splendid, the benches are beautiful, the arch a bit barking and once the lawns are re-laid it will be quite stunning … until the vandals. By vandals I might be refering to brainless drunken louts who smash the place up for “fun” (some of whom win Darwin awards for then either taking a midnight swim or strolling across the sands while the tide comes in!) or I might be talking about the council who having finished everything will then have it all broken again to (a) do the Tropicana (please, please make it just an all-weather pool), (b) replace the Tourist Information office with a restaurant (gosh we need more of those!) and (c) replace the old OceanView cafe with a two story hideous monstrosity that no one will be able to run because of the ludicrous rent they want …

Well, that’s my opinioin anyway

Weston – nearly there!

Here’s the 2010 sand sculpture area getting underway – this year it will be fenced properly with wooden posts rather than the previous ad hoc ugliness. In the background, the new Grand Pier looks so good. meanwhile the seafront is looking better all the time, pier square is starting to come together, most of the new street lighting is out of wraps, the water park is well underway, the wheel is turning and the sea wall looks lovely – personally I particularly love the new stone seating – so beautiful … now, if we could just take all the vandals and lock them way for a while we’d have a beautiful seafront for the whole summer!

Whitecross Tesco

Well, it has opened … and yes, so far I have managed to find lots of reasons to (a) shop in Whitecross and (b) go anywhere but Tesco. This is a rant, I admit it, but we already have a Co-op, a butcher, newsagent, baker (real one, actually bakes), florist and several other shops – we even had a greengrocer but it shut when it heard Tesco was moving in. That’s my point. Why did they move in? Not to provide a service to locals that’s for sure and I don’t remember being asked if I wanted it, though we did send a petition saying we didn’t! So all I can do is support the local shops and treat the Tesco like it is cursed – I shall still shop at Tesco, a lot, just not this one, any one of the others in the area actually, but not, under any circumstances, this one!

And how did they manage to get hours of 7-11 and an outside cashpoint when the Co-op was told it couldn’t have them despite being in the same place! I guess I’m just cross, there are plenty of places around here with no shops, or very few shops, who would have begged to have a Tesco Local … Whitecross neither needed one nor wanted one and I fear it will make the local area a worse, rather than a better, place.

If Whitecross Bakery closes I shall be really, really, really annoyed!

Oh and those welcoming vouchers Tesco sent me … I tore them up!

Killing of Sister George at The Blakehay

With a set built by the fabulous Christopher Bartle and a strong cast, our production of  The Killing of Sister George got off to a flying start last night at The Blakehay – very proud of my cast who have worked really hard to get this show running … but it has certainly been worth it!

Weston Wheel to Open This Week

The 2010 Weston Wheel, all 40m of it,  is now built and will open later this week (25th) with an adult flight price of £5 … meanwhile, the Pier has said hello to its first public visitors – ok, it’s not finished, nor is it really open, but the Sports Relief runners were allowed to run the length of the walkway.

Wheely?

The Weston-super-Mare wheel is already part built – the base is in place and the rest will probably be ready next week in plenty of time for Easter.

The pier has a lot of its scaffolding down now and the basic buildimng structure looks like its in place – they’re even starting to put the walkway back …

Meanwhile, the pier square has been ripped up so that it can be rebuilt, the sea wall is coming along great, tghe flood defences look super and the whole front, whilst still a building site, is beginning to show its new face ….

Lovin it!

a peer at the Pier

Coo, new “official photographs” .. looking so lovely … on Facebook

Weston Wheel 2010

Yes, it has been confirmed that there will be a Wheel on Weston-super-Mare seafront again this year, indeed, instead of the 40m job we got last year we may get the 54m one!

And from the wheel, what will you be able to see?

- The revamped Pier Square

- The new Grand Pier

- The rebuilt sea defences, wall and promenade

- The building site where all of this is happening

Should be good!

What to do about Toblerone?

It’s a tricky one, because I really love Toblerone, but the Kraft take over of Cadbury really frustrated me and their decision, within 8 days, to close the Somerset Cadbury factory was deeply annoying. I mean, in a take-over this size are we really supposed to believe that they didn’t know how far advanced the Polish factory was when they handed over all that dosh? If they didn’t, perhaps they shouldn’t be allowed to spend that sort of money!

So, the question remains, do I boycott Kraft products including Toblerone to make a point? Do I now boycott Cadbury products? Difficult decision … eek, will Cadbury World become Kraft World? An instant cheese-related theme park?!

Whilst I’m on the rant, I shall be boycotting the Tesco’s being built in Severn Road … we simply do NOT need it there as its directly opposite a perfectly good Co-Op and it will take business away from the local shops – we have already lost so many local shops in that area, gone forever … I shall still use Tesco, any one of the other 3 or so in Weston-super-Mare withing walking distance of each other .. but I will not give them the pleasure of using the new one … not when there’s perfectly good shopping already in place that needs local support.

Flame off …