I have been going on day trips to Weston Super-mare for a long time. I have relatives that live in nearby Burnham-on-sea, so i have often caught the bus into Weston. A word of warning; local buses cost a fortune! So it may be best travelling by car.

Brief History

Weston-supermare is in North Somerset on the Bristol channel. It became a seaside town in the 19th century. It has had its ups and downs over the years, going through periods of prosperity and periods of decline. Sadly there was a huge fire on the Grand Pier in the height of summer in July 2008. At the time everyone was devastated. The pier first opened in 1904 and the terrible thing also was that the owners had recently been updating the facilities on the pier. Prior to this, the last time the pier had burnt down was in 1930.

Fortunately, it didn't actually take that long in my view to rebuild the pier and what a fantastic job has been done. It cost a fortune to do (£39million) and reopened to the public in October 2010. The new pier is great and boasts the first lazer maze in the UK. (I think there should be more of these). They are great fun for kids and adults. I took my children there about 5 months ago and we all had a go in the lazer maze; they loved it!

There are some great things inside the pavillion; loads of fruit machines; a fantastic go kart track the type of which you won't find anything similar in the UK. Their is also a mini rollercoaster; a 4d cinema; a mirror maze; childrens soft play area; ghost train;; dodgem cars and much more!. There is also a super souvenir shop. You need to purchase tickets from machines to go on the rides/attractions.

The Pavillion has ample places to eat and drink with about 4 cafes; a bar; an ice cream parlour; tea rooms and a coffee shop. You can of course get your fish and chips, hot dogs and donuts on the Pavillion too.

The pavillion looks very modern with a glass front building. There is a huge amount of seating available. It really is a fantastic place inside the pavilion for children and teenagers with plenty for them to do. Its great also for older people who want to relax and take in the views and the lovely sea breeze, especially away from the noise of the inside. I went there again recently with my partner. Fortunately the weather was great ; the pier was fairly quiet, so we sat outside, enjoying a nice coffee in the warm sun. Bliss!

I would expect the pier to be very very busy in the summer months. it is very popular. I highly reccomend this pier. it is certainly the best one i have ever been to.

THE BEACH/PROMENADE

You will find plenty to do here and to entertain the kids. There are the traditional donkey rides; other smaller rides on the beach; a miniature railway; Seaquarium and the now famous Weston Wheel, which is a smaller version of the London Eye. It looks quite good actually.

OTHER LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT

The Winter Gardens; Antiques, Arts and Crafts, collectors fairs, junior music festivals, dances.
The Playhouse Theatre;plays, shows, musicals, childrens shows, pantomimes

A SELECTION OF FAMOUS AND WELL KNOWN PAST RESIDENTS

Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859);The famous British civil engineer responsible for the design of many bridges, dockyards, tunnels, steam ships and the Great western railway. He came 2nd in the BBC poll of 2002 for the '100 greatest Britons' He lived in Weston for some months whilst working on projects.

Jill Dando (1961-1999) ;former presenter of Crimewatch uk . Sadly and tragically murdered in 1999. You will find her memorial garden in Grove Park at Weston super-mare; its lovely and peaceful.

John Cleese (Born in Weston 1939-) ; comedian/writer

Jeffrey Archer; (Born in Weston in 1940); former MP and Author

SHOPPING IN WESTON

There are plenty of shops in the town which is only about a 4 minute walk from the pier. You will find plenty of well known shops; There is the Soverign shopping centre which has 38 shops(including currys,JD Sports, Evans, Waterstones, Clinton card shop, F.Hinds (jeweller), Halifax, Claires accessories, Bon Marche) with places to eat/take away food. Its not actually very big, but there are plenty of shops surrounding this centre. Marks & Spencer, British Home Stores, Mobile phone shops, fashion stores, eateries and cafes. The area around here is pedestrianised. There is a also a large Tesco, which is very close to Railway station.

ACCOMMODATION

There are plenty of bed and breakfasts and hotels around, from the value ones to the more expensive. There are also 2 Premier Inns (2 of which i have stayed in and recommend); Premier Inn at Hutton Moor Lane and Premier Inn at Lympsham; buses go past these hotels.

SURROUNDING AREA

There is loads to see and do. Burnham-on -sea, Wookey hole, Brean Sands, Bristol (with far too may things to do to mention here!). Cheddar Gorge, Glastonbury and Clarkes Village (with great outlet shopping; highly recommend this).

TRANSPORT

Weston-super-mare railway station is only a 5 minute walk from the town centre. There are buses (first group); you can catch buses to most local places but they are not always that frequent depending on the time of year. You can get more information from the First Group buses; http://www.firstgroup.com/ .

Weston supermare is a great seaside resort really and there is plenty to do for all age ranges. The beach is a real beach; no pebbles! but beware of the mud in certain parts; this is very dangerous, but there are warning signs; never go beyond a red flag either.

Personally i like to go to Weston for a day trip or possibly a weekend break. There are some unsavoury areas of Weston (but these are away from the tourist area); you should still be careful, as always, whilst on holiday, watch your handbags etc. However this is a good place for families to holiday with plenty to do and loads more around and about.