Hello! Sorry I'm only in the background these days. (OU course taking up time.) Please feel free t...
Hello! Sorry I'm only in the background these days. (OU course taking up time.) Please feel free to remove me from your lists if you like, to share your love around with the new Ciao bunnies! I will not be offended! Jo xxxx
Member since:28.06.2005
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I thought I'd write a Weston-Super-Mare review since my husband and I took our little ones there today for a spot of sandcastle building. As we only live 15 minutes away, down the M5, it's a place I have frequented throughout my life.
My Grandparents live in Worle which is just off the motorway on the way in to Weston, and always took us to the seafront in the Summer, so this is the place I shall start.
THE SEA FRONT
Weston-Super-Mare is in North Somerset (previously Avon).
Weston-sur-la-mer (on-the-sea) became Weston-Super-Mare for obvious reasons... our tangled evolution of language! I suppose it is sort of on-the-sea, but is really on the Severn Estuary. This means that there is a lot of mud washing up and down! We often, jokingly call it Weston-Super-Mud! At Weston, the beach is very very long and expansive. The tide goes out for miles, exposing the lovely mud. It would be great to say the mud has fabulous healing properties, but sadly, no. Lots of people get stuck in it and have to be rescued by those teriffic coastguards. It's extremely dangerous to wander off out there. Don't do it!
As you face the water (or mud) you will be looking across to Wales. You will see two islands in the Water. Flatholm and Steepholm. (Take a wild guess why these are so named! I have pictured them below) There are various boat trips organised further up the promenade to visit the islands. I have never actually done this, but have always wanted to. The two islands are nature reserves so respect for this is essential. No animals are permitted on the islands for this reason. Steepholm would be unsuitable for disabled people or young children. Both the islands have websites which are full of information on how to arrange visits to them.
Right, back to the actual Sea Front.
Parking: There is a lot of Parking on the front, right next to the beach, which is very handy if this is where you are headed! In busy times there are also parking facilities on the actual beach. The main on-road parking tariffs are £5.00 for a whole day in the height of Summer. Costs vary as to what the season is and how long you intend to stay there. We parked today in the Sovereign Shopping Centre Car Park and were there for about 3 and a half hours and paid £3.00. This is also near the Sea front and is useful if you wish to visit the shops as well. There is also a pay and display car park in Dolphin Square which is also fairly central.
Once you are out of your car, you will stroll down the promenade, and probably past the Seaquarium, which was formerly the Sea Life Centre. This is an undercover attraction to introduce you to the sea life in the surrounding area and educate your little nippers about the 'little nippers' that live in the sea! It is very similar to others I have visited at various coastal areas in the UK. You can touch the Rays, which have, incidentally, been de-stinged (I don't think this is a real word!) You will also see little
sea horses and learn about how the daddy sea horses look after them. How cute! There are exhibits that children can touch and learn with among the tanks of various sea life, all brought together with that 'floaty' music that always seems to accompany a walk around this type of place! Oh, yes, the inevitable gift shop is also here where you can get an 'octopus' keyring with your name on it!
Back out into the sunshine, and onwards. By this point, you might fancy building a sand castle. Well, there is certainly plenty of sand here for that. (My Grandad used to steal the sand for his garden! Naughty nonogenarian!) The sand is a little dirty, so I would recommend having a good wash after playing with it! As with most sandy beaches, it starts of soft and dry and ends up compact and wet as you go towards the shoreline! There are lots of access points to get on to the beach and lots of sloping stone areas for wheelchairs or pushchairs. Once you get onto the sand on wheels though, it gets much more difficult. I have been on a bit of a 'pop-eye' work-out trying to push a pushchair over the soft snd. I can not imagine how someone in a wheelchair would manage.
I had better point out that there are various toilet facilities dotted along the Front.
On the beach
I could not write a Weston-Super-Mare review without mentioning those good old Weston donkeys. They have been there donkeys years indeed. I remember being taken on the donkeys by my grand-parents and being on the fastest one there, called 'Lightning'. He was trotting along at about a hundred miles an hour in my opinion! They don't seem to go so fast these days. I think my brain has oomphed up my memories a little! . One time, we took some old soft ginger biscuits that my Grandmother had, down to the beach for them. Well, the donkeys went wild for them. My sister and I were only little and surrounded by a group of frenzied hungry donkeys! Quite scary! Therefore, I would say, if you run in front of a donkey with a ginger biscuit, it will probably go a little faster for you! We took our little boy for a ride on the donkeys for the first time a few months ago and he loved it. It's so great taking my own children here as I have so many of my own memories having fun here as a child. The donkeys, I believe, are still run and looked after by the local Trapnell Family. They only stopped operating the donkey rides for a short while, a couple of years ago when there were helicopter rides being organised from the beach which was frightening for the donkeys. The donkeys are there now though!
Other attractions on the sand are bouncy castles, swing boats, trampolines, cup and saucer rides, various gift shops and refreshment shacks. Our children went on the bouncy castle today, which cost one pound each for 5 minutes. They were actually on there longer than 5 minutes though and had a great time. One thing I must say about being in Weston, is take lots of change with you. All the 'little' things such as ice lollies, drinks and attractions soon add up, as you go on your merry way!
THE GRAND PIER
Once you have brushed the sand from between your toes (or used the shower that is on the beach), you may fancy the delights of the Grand Pier. You can't miss it! We came straight off of the beach and on to the pier today. At the near end there are loads of gift shops, ice cream booths, slot machines and hot doughnut kiosks. My husband always takes a deep breath of those doughnut smells! The pier is free to go on, so you can wander up and down at your leisure. At the start of the 'planky bit' a land train will take you to the other end for a 30p charge. (one way) This is a fun thing to do once, if you have children, or if you don't want to walk. I don't usually do this, but I did take my son on it today because my legs were painful. He thought this train ride was the bees knees. Well worth it for a 3 year old. Along the pier there are plenty of benches to sit under cover, where ambient music is pumped out while you suck on your ice lolly! Charming seaside stuff. There are the great 'put your head through the hole to make yourself look like a lady in a stripy swimsuit' boards too! Photo opportunity! At the far end of the pier is an undercover section which is really noisy. It contains loads of slot machines, bingo, dodgems, ghost train, Crazy house, toilets (very important), you get the gist. Sorry, here's another anecdote from when my sister and I were little! My Grandad paid for us to go on the Crazy House which has dark corridors, wobbly floors, wind machines, etc inside. We were so scared to go in, that the people running it had to put the lights on for us! I haven't been in it since, but it looks the same! I dare not go on the ghost train! What a wimp! At the back of the pier there are a few outside ride-on attractions for youngsters. As you walk away from here, you realise how noisy it is there.
Well, that's enough of the pier. Along the promenade there is a land train which will take you right the way along if you wish (for a fee!). It is quite a long way if you do go all the way along, so would be worth it for a lot of people. There is also a little train for children which goes around the green field opposite the beach. There's also an impressive looking fountain which is usually operating in the high season.
Beyond the pier is Marine Lake and Knightstone Island. This pool fills up with the tide and is popular for swimming. We used to swim in there a lot as little ones but I think I would be a bit wary of it now, for fear of catching something horrible, or stepping on bits of broken glass. Knightstone Island used to have a swimming pool on it and a centre where my sister once entered a junoir talent contest. It has been in a state of disrepair for a number of years now and I think is being converted into
I have not mentioned the Tropicana, which is also on the Seafront, because this also has sadly been in a state of neglect for a number of years. It was, when I was a child, a great attraction. There were outdoor pools, waterslides in the shape of giant pineapples, wave machines, and an indoor plastic ice skating rink (which was rubbish!) I think, now, finally, North Somerset Council have come to a decision on who is to develop the site, so hopefully, some sort of outdoor pool type of complex can be running again. Again, the Tropicana was something we loved as children.
Towards the end of the Prom', you will find Birnbeck Pier. This is a very sorry sight indeed. There is no way that it is safe to walk on any more and is barred off by barbed wire. I can only imagine that the lifeboat people hop along the remaining planks to launch thier boats. I do remember walking along this 'old' pier when I was young but remember it being quite run-down even then. I just can't imagine now, how there can be enough money from anywhere to restore it. A very sad sight.
Beyond Birnbeck pier, you can drive further towards Sand Bay. In the opposite direction is Brean Sands and Brean Down which is worth a visit if you are staying in the area. I am however, focusing on the main part of Weston-Super-Mare.
Shopping
Since I find shopping more of a chore than an enjoyable leisure activity, I don't want to spend a lot of time on this one! The Sovereign Centre is the main shopping area with the usual sorts of clothes shops, shoe shops, cafeterias. I find myself going in Mothercare and the Early Learning Centre these days! There is a novelty clock in the Centre which chimes on the hour, featuring little men playing instuments, popping out! Always fun for the children. Outside there are Woolworths, lots of clothes shops, Boots, Argos, the usual. It's usually quite a busy place. There is a nice green area with seating behind the Winter Gardens which is a great place to stop for a rest. I'd better mention Luigi's Rock shop near the Sea Front as my husband always goes in there to chose his sweets from the jars on the shelf! They have the usual goodies such as fudge, sweet pebbles, rock, and jars of old fashioned sweets. It's a tiny shop but always packed!
The People
Well, I have to say the locals are alright, as I live fairly locally and have friends and relatives there! I do find Weston an amusing place in the Summer though, as it suddenly becomes 'Little Brum!' It's a very popular place for people from Birmingham to come on their holidays. I guess it's the nearest seaside resort. They all seem to be having a good time though, and always have lots of friendly, cheerful comments which I find most refreshing.
Accommodation
There are an enormous amount of guest houses, bed and breakfast places and hotels in and around Weston. It is a thriving holiday spot.
Events and attractions
There is usually something going on at the Sea Front area. There is the very poular motorbike event where hundreds of scramblers try to get through a giant course made of sand. We try to avoid going in to Weston on these days as the routes in are always congested. The beach is such a large area, that it's popular for music roadshows. My first driving test was cancelled as it clashed with a Radio One Roadshow. It would have been impossible to even get out of the test centre, let alone do an emergency stop!
There is the Helicopter museum on Locking Road which is the world's largest. This is well sign-posted on the way in towards Weston. There are various family attractions there.
The Playhouse Theatre is very popular. There is a yearly Pantomime and various children's shows throughout the year. It's a popular venue for musical shows and comedians. I saw Jethro there once and was in the audience on the video! Ho ho.
Well then, fish and chips it is! There are numerous fish and chip establishments and also little cafes dotted around here and there. Most are reasonable and you can generally see by peering in the window, what sort of service you will get! There are a few restaurants of varying kinds about but I am not an expert on these as I do not come out to Weston to eat on an evening.
Night Life
It's a few years since I've sampled the nightlife of Weston, but it must be ingrained on my brain because this is where the title of my review came from. The resident DJ in The Sands nightclub used to chant it, without fail, every time I was there. "Put your hands in the air, at Weston -Super-Mare!" I used to go out with a group of friends on a very long pub crawl from one end of The Front to the other. The Cabot is still a popular haunt I believe. We used to get taxis home which were always reliable. I can not say what the safety aspects of nightlife in Weston are now. I would be much more scared going out like I used to. I don't want to put people off, but there have been a fair few reports of violence on a night time in Weston in recent years. There are usually people zooming up and down the front in their cars with music bursting the windows out. There are more speed ramps around now also though. I suppose the message is the same everywhere. Be aware and be safe.
I am obviously reviewing Weston-Super-Mare as someone who has grown up around the area and not as a holiday-maker, so my comments may differ from others. I hope this review has given a small taste of the kind of atmosphere of Weston. There is so much to say about Weston-Super-Mare, but I have covered the points that I feel are important.
Personally, I would not choose to stay at Weston-Super-Mare for a holiday, but I think it's a fantastic place to go on a day trip, or to explore if you are in the area anyway. It's a cheap and cheerful place. It's not posh, but there is always something fun to do.
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