WSM; A seaside resort for druggies or still a family friendly town? (Weston-super-Mare in General)

Member Name: Caveat-Emptor

Product:	Weston-super-Mare in General
Date:	13/07/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Close to so many great places -it's an ideal place to start from....

Disadvantages: Rundown and antsocial behavior; in Star Wars terms WSM Council have gone to the 'dark side' lol!

My review of West Super Mare
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Introduction
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One of the great British seaside resorts, named by the Romans no less -lol!! (Mare means sea in latin) and nestled on the English side of the Bristol Channel in North Somerset - WSM is ideally placed for a short or long holiday.... but I do have some reservations (pun intended -lol!!)

My Opinion/ Features
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I've been holidaying in WSM since I was a kid -somehow I always find myself coming back... It's not for the town of WSM itself which the local council have allowed to become a little shabby and run down...

For instance the council have allowed WSM to become a bit of a haven for druggies over the past few years, so I seriously don't recommend hanging round the town centre at night. Don't misunderstand me; there are some great places to visit after dark; friendly pubs, the Playhouse theatre etc... but when the night's entertainment is over go straight to your car/ bus stop and get back to where ever you're staying... unless you want to meet the town's more 'colourful' residents and semi feral child/teen gangs, who seem to operate in a near police fee zone -lol!

Also you'll see a lot of unfinished projects/ closed down attractions; like the world famous Birnbeck Pier (the only pier in the world connected to an island, site of secret D-Day planning in WW2 and a place so beloved of the Victorians that it had it's own special currency printed!!). Sadly Birnbeck; known locally as the 'old pier' is in a sad state of disrepair, which is a crime in my opinion.

Another sad development is that more and more beeches etc are off limit to dogs... When I first came to WSM you could walk the dog almost anywhere, it was one of the few places you could happily take your dog away on holiday to with the minimum of hassles.

But, alas those days are gone -and while the local council don't seem to mind hypodermic needles, antisocial behaviour and broken glass in the kids paddling pools and on the beach -they seem greatly offended by the common canine...

So on the negative side; WSM council have worked very hard to drive away the very people who made it such a vibrant place in the past; families and dog lovers... I personally don't spend much money in WSM for the above reasons; I'm a big fan of voting with my wallet...

Now you might think from what I've written that you should avoid WSM like a case of swine flu... but now I'd like to point out the good stuff;

Yes WSM is naff (nowadays!) but it's the most brilliant base to explore from... There are so many woods, fields, little peninsulas and secluded coves within a few miles radius, fee from the idiot council's grasp - that even the most energetic dog and owner will be happy :-)

There are so many beautiful walks - both short and long to enjoy across the devastatingly awesome Somerset Levels.

For days out there are a wealth of places to visit; Glastonbury with it's ruins, legends, famous tor and large middle aged American women running round in pointy hats under the impression that they're real 'witches' -(honestly it's worth going for this site alone - methinks they've seen one too many Harry Potter films -lol!!).

There's the city of Wells - supposedly the smallest city in England, worth visiting just to see the Cathedral and it's amazing carved facade... it's free to stand in the grounds (it's also technically free to visit inside the Cathedral too, because the fee is actually a donation request... so give what you feel it's worth; not what the 'man' tells you -lol!

The legendary Cheddar Gorge is only about 7 miles out of WSM; if you haven't visited the caves; I really recommend it -they are spectacular. If you're on a budget you can walk right round the spectacular gorge walk for free (just ask a friendly local for the quickest way up onto the cliffs)... and if you're really lucky you might see some of the 'mental' mountain goats, climbing up and down the near sheer cliffs ...I've even seen them climb trees...I kid you not! (another of my terrible puns -lol!!). You can sample the cider for free down in the town, and there's a brilliant home made sweet shop (though the sweets are a tad overpriced).

Another site worth visiting in the WSM area is Wookey Hole, with it's impressive caves, and Victorian fair... I still love the mirror labyrinth. I took my father and my nephew in once and had to go and 'rescue' them after a while as they took forever to find the way out... Brilliant stuff!

... and that's only about 1 percent of the stuff on offer for holidaymakers/residents who stay/live in or near WSM... and I haven't even mentioned the excellent restaurants and great friendly locals!!

My Verdict
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WSM is in my opinion, through neglect at a local government level, no longer a great place... but as a place to stay and explore the seemingly endless wonders of the surrounding area from; WSM is second to non.

If I won the lottery I'd probably move near (but not in) WSM cuz it simply has so much to offer... but it could be a thousand times better than it is, with just a little better management.

Hope you found my review helpful and interesting; and good luck with your bargain hunting!!

Best wishes,
Caveat-Emptor

Summary: Brilliant base, great local people, rubbish council -not always safe after dark!!