The Grand Pier

Grand Pier Box Set DVD Released

2012-01-19T10:43:00.001Z

A box set charting the re-building of the Grand Pier has just been released on DVD. The three DVDs entitled A Trip Through Time, Phoenix from the Flames and A New Dawn chart the progress of the iconic landmark from when it was first built in 1904, through the devastating fire of July 2008, to the grand re-opening in October 2010.The box set contains first-hand tales from visitors and staff, plus rare music, photographs, film and recreations. The final DVD in the trilogy, A New Dawn, tells the story of the hectic rush to complete the Grand Pier in time for October half-term and to recruit 300 staff to run the attraction. A Trip Through Time provides a history of the Grand Pier from when it was built in 1904 to the fire of July 2008 and Phoenix from the Flames charts the progress of the Grand Pier from gaining planning permission through to construction. Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I was determined we would document the re-building of the Grand Pier so firstly we needed to produce a DVD to explain the history, then one which covered the ups and downs of the re-build and finally, one which charts the run up to our great opening day. I am delighted with how this box set has turned out and am sure it will be treasured by generations to come. “The Grand Pier is a very special place for an awful lot of our visitors and charting its re-birth has been an emotional rollercoaster”. Copies of the box set are available in the Grand Pier shops at £29.99 or individual DVDs are available at £12.99 each from www.grandpier.co.uk with a £1.99 p&p charge.

Stand Up Comedian Jim Davidson To Play The Grand Pier

2012-01-19T10:41:00.003Z

The legendary stand-up comedian Jim Davidson OBE will play a gig at the Grand Pier as part of his UK tour this year.On Friday 30th March Jim Davidson will bring his own very special brand of humour to Weston-super-Mare. Jim Davidson is firmly established as one of Britain’s top stand-up comedians and is well known to TV viewers as host of the BBC TV game shows, the Generation Game and Big Break. He received an OBE for his services to charity and has three coveted Showbusiness Personality of the Year awards from the Variety Club of Great Britain, The Grand Order of Water Rats and Comic Heritage.Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said he was delighted to have secured Jim Davidson to do a show at the Pier as part of his UK tour.He said: “We have had some top-class acts perform at the Grand Pier since we opened as an event space and this booking firmly establishes us as a favourite venue in the South West region. I hope this is the first of many comedy nights to come to the Grand Pier”.Tickets for this adult –only event are currently on sale in the Grand Pier shop on the first floor or by going to www.grandpier.co.uk. All tickets are seated and cost £20 or £22.50 including the online booking fee. Doors open at 7.30pm. Seating is not allocated.

School's Out Party On The Pier DJ Special

2012-01-09T12:00:00.001Z

The Grand Pier will be holding a ‘Party on the Pier DJ Special’ on Friday 10th February to celebrate half-term.A selection of Club DJs will play at the venue, including Matt Nelmes (Lost Boys), The Real! Yogi Bear (DJ/Producer) and DJ Party Potter.Tickets are on sale now at £5, including unlimited rides. To purchase tickets go to www.grandpier.co.uk and follow the links or visit the Grand Pier shop on the first floor of the Pavilion building.Doors open at 6pm and the evening will finish at 10pm.

Queen Tribute Act To Play The Grand Pier

2012-01-09T12:00:00.000Z

The Kings of Queen, a Queen tribute act, have been booked to play at the Grand Pier on Friday 16th March.Kings of Queen perform a stunning tribute to Freddie Mercury and Queen, regularly touring the UK . Their excellent vocals and musicianship, together with a unique sense of theatricality, produce a superb visual act.Tickets for the all-seated event are on sale now at £7.50 each from the Grand Pier shop on the first floor of the Pavilion or by going to www.grandpier.co.uk and following the links. Seating is not allocated.

Grand Pier To Host Charity Gig In Support Of Cancer Sufferers

2012-01-03T11:32:00.000Z

The Grand Pier will host a charity gig on Friday 27th January 2012. The concert, which is called Daz’s Rock 4 Charity 4 Kerry, will be raising money for the Supporting Teenage Cancer Trust South West Appeal.The Grand Pier is providing their Great Hall free-of-charge. Bands appearing at the live gig include The Communicators, Flash Harry, Capone, Beyond Control, Craig Dunn and Friends and Daz & Friends.Other artists performing include Teresa Alexander, Ryan Mills, Mike Cox, Loki Saunders and Stacey Lou Hunt. A DJ will keep the crowd entertained between sets.Doors open at 6.30pm and the first band will perform at 7.30pm. The event will finish at 1am.Tickets are now on sale at £9.50 (no concessions). Under 18’s are welcome as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Tickets are available from the Grand Pier retail shop on the first floor, by email daz@daz.uk.com or by calling 07976 629132.The charity registration number is 1062559.

Win Your Christmas at the Grand Pier

2011-12-16T11:21:00.000Z

The Grand Pier is running a special seasonal competition for visitors this Christmas. Everyone coming to the Pier is invited to guess how many Christmas tree lights are on the giant tree in the Great Hall in the Pavilion building.Entrants have the chance to win Christmas. The prize is £250 worth of high street vouchers for Christmas gifts, £100 of Grand Pier ride vouchers and £100 worth of supermarket vouchers for food. The winning boy and girl, who guess to the nearest number of fairy light on the tree, will both receive a gigantic Christmas present from the Grand Pier.All you have to do to enter the competition is to come the Grand Pier, pick up a form from Santa’s Grotto, have a guess and put your form in our entry box.Closing date for entries is Thursday 22nd December at 4pm. Winners will be notified immediately.

Free Carol Concert at the Grand Pier

2011-12-06T11:20:00.001Z

A free family carol concert will be held on the Grand Pier on Sunday 18th December. The Salvation Army and Weston Brass bands will be playing, so everyone can join in a sing-along of their favourite carols. There will also be some soloists including the very popular local singer Sarah Eden-Winn, plus Broadoak School Choir and performers from Stagecoach.The family carol concert will start at 4.30pm. There will also be the chance to visit Santa’s Grotto, for those who have not been to see Father Christmas yet.Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “Everyone is welcome to come along to this free event. We hope to see families coming to join in with the singing and to get into the Christmas spirit”.

The World-Famous Drifters Are To Play At The Grand Pier

2011-12-05T16:27:00.001Z

Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier is to host a Drifters concert on Friday 24th February 2012. The booking follows on from a hugely successful Three Degrees concert staged at the Pier in October of this year.The Drifters, who formed in 1953, are one of the biggest selling bands of all time. They have a huge catalogue of over 50 hits, including classics like ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’, ‘Under the Boardwalk’, ‘Up on the Roof’ and ‘Kissing in the Back Row of the Movies’.The group have sold in excess of 214 million singles and 114 million albums across the world, and they have over 55 years experience in the business, making them one of the longest serving bands in history.Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I am absolutely delighted the Drifters have agreed to perform here. I always envisaged the Grand Pier becoming a major venue in the South West and I am very excited we are now attracting world-class acts.“We are starting to bring some really big names to Weston-super-Mare. To have the Drifters perform so soon after the Three Degrees is fantastic. The Pier has also recently hosted two sell-out Wurzels concerts.“The Grand Pier is now so much more than a family entertainment venue. It is a major visitor attraction that is bringing visitors and concert-goers into the town in the daytime and evening throughout the year”.Tickets are now available from the Grand Pier shop on the first floor of the Pavilion building or by going to www.grandpier.co.ukStanding tickets are £14.50, seated tickets are £19.50 and VIP tickets are £25.00 VIP tickets will include premium seating and view.

End of Term Party on the Pier

2011-12-05T16:22:00.001Z

Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier is to host an end of term party headlined by the X Factor’s Lloyd Daniels on Wednesday 21st December.Sixteen year old Welsh youngster Lloyd took the X Factor by storm and is still buzzing after the release of his new album Suburbian Girl. He will be supported by the popular local bands ‘Show it Off’ and ‘Bodyshock’.To celebrate the end of term and the start of the Christmas holidays, the Grand Pier will also be laying on half-price rides all night, plus a club DJ to make sure everyone gets into the party mood.Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I am very pleased to have Lloyd Daniels headlining our end of term party. He received huge internet support during the X Factor and has a big following amongst the younger generation. With age on his side, Lloyd looks to have an extremely bright future ahead of him. I am sure it will be a really good night that will get everyone in the festive mood”.Tickets are on sale now from the Grand Pier shop on the first floor of the Pavilion building or by going to www.grandpier.co.uk. Tickets are priced at £5, entry only (£6 online booking price) or £9.50 to include entry plus unlimited rides between 6.30pm and 9.30pm (£10.50 online booking price).

BBC Children in Need – Live from the Grand Pier

2011-10-20T16:12:00.003+01:00

BBC Points West’s David Garmston and Alex Lovell joined Pudsey at the Grand Pier this week to launch the West’s BBC Children in Need Spectacular.On Friday November 18th they will be coming live from the Grand Pier and they would love as many people as possible to join them. The entertainment on the night will include children from Broadoak School in Weston-super-Mare taking part in a special choir which will link up with chorists across the UK.Free tickets are now available. To apply for tickets call 0370 901 1227. When you ring you should press 1 for show information followed by 3 to speak to an agent and request a ticket. You can apply for tickets until Thursday 27th October.All the money raised from the rides on the night will go to charity so why not come along for a night of fun and fundraising for BBC Children in Need.

Grand Pier Celebrates Its First Birthday

2011-10-17T10:31:00.002+01:00

The Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare celebrates its first birthday on 23rd October. In the first year of opening the attraction has welcomed just over 3 million visitors.

To celebrate the birthday the Grand Pier will be putting on entertainment and special ride offers over the party weekend of 22nd – 23rd October.

Visitors to the Grand Pier will be greeted by clowns, mascots and fire eaters. Throughout the weekend dancers, children’s entertainers and gymnasts will perform and a giant ‘special birthday offers wheel’ will be spun. Each segment of the wheel will have a very special offer including cheap rides, and food and drink. Wherever the wheel stops will decide what’s on offer at the time.

Face Painters will be in the Adventure Cove soft play area all weekend and a selection of musicians will perform in Captain Jack’s bar.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “It seems hard to believe it is a year ago that we opened the gates on a dark, rainy morning to see the thousands of people who had queued overnight to get a first glimpse of the new pier.
“This is the first time in its history, that the Pier has been open continuously throughout the year. I didn’t know what to expect, but there have certainly been some surprises along the way. Boxing Day and New Year’s Day were very busy and in April we had over half a million visitors, which was fantastic, and nobody could have predicted the bumper weekend we enjoyed when the sun shone a couple of weeks ago.

“The Grand Pier is now firmly established as a wedding and concert venue and we have the largest ballroom in the area.

“This year’s Christmas parties and concerts are selling out fast and we are already turning our attention to the concert and events programme for next year, which will be even bigger. It feels great to have got the first year under our belt and to be looking to the future.

Rides from £1 at the Grand Pier

2011-09-14T15:15:00.002+01:00

From now until the end of September all rides on the Grand Pier will cost just £1 on Friday evenings from 5pm to 9pm and during the rest of the week (and weekends) all rides will be half-price. This will include the Grand Pier’s famous F1 simulators and Go Karts.

There will also be special offers in the children’s soft place area, Adventure Cove during term-time. Entry into Adventure Cove on weekdays will cost £1. A £3 meal and play deal is also available all day every day during term time.

Between 10am and 12 noon every Saturday and Sunday Adventure Cove will charge an entry fee of £3 and children will get to meet our special TV characters.

Fireworks and fun at The Grand Pier

2011-09-06T15:18:00.001+01:00

Thousands of visitors are expected to enjoy a night of fireworks and fun at the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare on Saturday 5th November.

People who come along will be able to watch a large firework display on the beach from the comfort of the new giant Grand Pier conservatory on the South Deck and enjoy the rides.

Visitors who pay a £5 admission fee will receive a free £5 Grand Pier ride voucher and visitors to pay a £10 admission fee will receive a free £10 ride voucher, plus a burger or hot dog.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I am looking forward to watching the Grand Pier firework display from the new conservatory. We can give people a warm and dry vantage point, with a spectacular view, which on a cold November night is something unique.

“Our rides will be open all evening so it should be a fireworks and fun evening for everyone”.

Tickets are available via www.grandpier.co.uk or from the Grand Pier Gift Shop on the first floor of the Pavilion building.

Ride and food vouchers can be collected from the Grand Pier on the night on production of a valid ticket.
Doors open at 6pm and last admissions are at 7pm.

Giant Conservatory

2011-09-05T09:42:00.001+01:00

Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier is to install a giant glass conservatory on the South Deck of the Pavilion building.

The conservatory, which will be more than 50 metres long and 10 metres wide, will cost over a quarter of a million pounds. The roof will open and retract electronically and the doors will all slide open and stack, so the whole area can be opened up on sunny days.

Work will begin this week and the conservatory will be ready for the October half-term holiday, one year on from when the Grand Pier re-opened after the fire.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “The conservatory will enable us to extend the season and allow our visitors to enjoy the great outdoors day to day during the winter months.

“It will also be used for special events like concerts and weddings and will be a great place to watch the Grand Pier firework display on 5th November”.

The conservatory will be specially constructed with tall, wide automatic doors at each end which will allow the land train to drive through it and turn around.

Ice Hockey World Championship Heats On The Grand Pier

2011-08-30T16:02:00.002+01:00

The Grand Pier will host two rounds of the 33rd Table Ice Hockey World Championships when it is staged in Weston-super-Mare from 27th August to 3rd September 2011.

The Preliminaries will take place at the Grand Pier on Tuesday 30th August from 2pm – 6.30pm and the Final Heats on Friday September 2nd from 11am to 3pm.

Hundreds of competitors and their families from around the world will attend the event, which is being held in Weston-super-Mare for the first time.

The Grand Pier is sponsoring a coach excursion for competitors in the championship to discover the West Country. They will be taken on a tour of Cheddar Gorge, Wells Cathedral, Glastonbury Abbey and Clarks Village.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I am delighted to see new events coming to Weston and am glad to be involved in promoting the Grand Pier and the town to people from all over Europe”.

GRAND PIER FLY PAST

2011-08-23T09:36:00.002+01:00

The Grand Pier will be honoured with a fly-past by the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) on Friday 26th August at 1pm. A Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster will fly over the Pavilion.

The BBMF, which was set up in 1957 to represent the nation’s aviation heritage, will fly the WWII aircraft into Weston-super-Mare.

The Spitfire was produced in greater numbers than any other British combat aircraft. In total 20,400 were manufactured. The Spitfire played a major part in achieving the ultimate victory in WWII.

The Hurricane is one of the classic fighters of all time. It was designed and built for war and was at the forefront of Britain’s defence in 1939 – 1940.

There are only two Lancasters in the World that remain in an airworthy condition. The one that is coming to Weston-super-Mare was built in 1945 and was used on Photographic Reconaissance duties with 82 Squadron in East and South Africa.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “We are delighted to have been selected for a fly-past so soon after our Grand Pier Air Day on 17th August.

“I am sure crowds of people will line the sea front to see these historic World War II fighter planes”.

The World-Famous Three Degrees Are To Play At The Grand Pier

2011-08-09T15:51:00.004+01:00

Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier is to host a Three Degrees concert on Friday 7th October. The famous trio had been asked to play live at the Pier by two local fans, Richard Buckner and Gary Langdale.

Richard and Gary, who run the Weston based energy surveying business, A1 Home Inspectors, have become friends with the Three Degrees after years of attending their concerts all over the world, and were delighted when the trio agreed to perform at the Grand Pier.

Richard Buckner, 34, said: “The Three Degrees always said they would come to our home town if they were invited and now that the Grand Pier is open they are finally coming here. Gary and I are really excited about being able to see our favourite group in Weston-super-Mare”.

The Three Degrees formed in 1963 in Philadephia. Over the years the trio has changed but their most successful line-up included Valerie Holiday, Helen Scott and Shelia Ferguson. That line-up performed for Prince Charles at his 30th birthday party and attended the pre-wedding party before his marriage to Lady Diana Spencer.
The line-up that will play the concert on the Grand Pier will be Helen Scott who joined the group in 1963, Valerie Holiday, who joined the group in 1967 and former Lady of the Supremes, who is a relatively new addition, Freddie Pool.

The Three Degrees 1974 single “When Will I See You Again?” was a huge international hit, peaking at Number Two in the US and topping the UK Singles Chart.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I am absolutely delighted the Three Degrees have agreed to perform here. I always envisaged the Grand Pier becoming a major venue in the South West and I am very excited that we are now attracting world-class acts”.

“We are starting to bring some really big names to Weston-super-Mare. The Grand Pier is now so much more than a family entertainment centre. It is a major visitor attraction that will bring visitors and concert-goers to the town in the daytime and evening throughout the year”.

A Motown tribute band will support the Three Degrees. Details will be announced soon. Tickets for the Three Degrees will go on sale shortly.

Great Grand Pier Air Day Update

2011-07-21T10:00:00.001+01:00

The running order for The Great Grand Pier Air Day in Weston-super-Mare on Wednesday 17th August has now been announced.

First to perform on the day will be the Royal Artillery Parachute Team, the Black Knights, which is the official parachute display team for the Royal Artillery. They will begin their display at 11.30am. The five parachutists, who are all serving soldiers, each with between 300 and 600 jumps experience, will arrive in a Cessna 206 aircraft and will jump into an arena, which will be specially constructed on the beach, to the North of the Grand Pier.

The Black Knights will be followed at 1.30pm by the World’s only aerobatic formation wingwalking team, the Breitling Wing Walkers. They will perform a breathtaking sequence of acrobatic manoeuvres and handstands whilst strapped to the top wings of the team’s beautiful Boeing Stearman bi-planes.

The team pilots will fly the aircraft through a well-rehearsed energetic routine of dazzling aerobatics and close formation flypasts as the wingwalkers wave at the crowd.

These manoeuvres include loops, rolls, stall turns and inverted flight. During this the wingwalkers will experience speeds of up to 150 mph and ‘G’ forces of up to 4 G.

At 3pm the Blades air display team will fly into the town. The Blades are among the World’s best aerobatic pilots, flying the ultimate in high-performance piston aircraft.

The Blades pilots are all former Red Arrows and they set up the UK’s only full-time civil formation team in 2005. One of the Blades first air displays was at the Beckham’s Full Length and Fabulous Ball. Their displays have been watched by 18 million people at over 150 venues.

Display highlights have included Her Majesty the Queen’s 80th birthday at Balmoral and the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I want to establish the Great Grand Pier Air Day as an annual event that people all over the country will look forward to and get the date firmly in their diaries early on in the year.

“I am delighted we have been able to secure such a varied and top quality display for our air day and I intend to build on it in future years”.

Wurzels Back To Wow The Crowds On The Grand Pier

2011-07-18T10:00:00.003+01:00

Following the hugely successful Wurzels concert at the Grand Pier in May, the band has been booked to play again on Friday 11th November.

The last Wurzels concert on 21st May played to a crowd of over 2,000 fans in the Great Hall and was a sell out, with hundreds more disappointed. Tickets for the next concert are once again expected to sell out quickly.

After the last concert The Wurzels Tommy Banner said: “We had a fantastic gig with a crowd of over two thousand to welcome us onto the Grand Pier. We honestly did not know what to expect, because none of us could picture exactly where in the Pier they could accommodate so many people.

“However, the management and the staff did a brilliant job and when we came on stage it looked like a mini version of Glastonbury – and the atmosphere was just as amazing”.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “The Wurzels concert was a great success so I am absolutely delighted to have booked them to play the Grand Pier again”.

Tickets will go on sale on Thursday 21st July. The first five hundred pre sale tickets will be available at £7.50 (plus booking fee) via the web link on our Facebook page.

From Saturday 23rd July tickets will be on sale at www.grandpier.co.uk or from the Grand Pier gift shops which are located on the first floor of the Pavilion building and at the shore end of the Pier.

A day to remember for Chernobyl youngsters

2011-07-06T10:00:00.003+01:00

The Grand Pier welcomed 12 youngsters from the area of Belarus close to the Chernobyl border this week. The children come from poor communities within 20 miles of the nuclear explosion site.

The youngsters, aged between seven and eleven years old, were treated to free ride vouchers and spent the morning experiencing the thrills to be had inside the Pavilion building.

Belarus is a land-locked country, so for almost all the youngsters this was the first time they had ever seen the sea and none of them had ever visited a Pier before.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “This is not the first time we have welcomed the Children of Chernobyl to the Grand Pier. It is great that we have now re-opened and are again able to give these youngsters a fantastic fun day out at the seaside”.

Their day trip to Weston-super-Mare included a ride on the famous donkeys, lunch at the Queenswood Hotel and a visit to the Seaquarium. The visit to Weston was organised by the Lions Club.

The children, who are enjoying a month long holiday in the UK, are staying with host families in the area. They have been brought over by The Children of Chernobyl charity, based in Wells, who have been bringing youngsters to Somerset for the past 20 years. The charity also supplies funds for village communities, hospitals and schools close to the controlled zone around Chernobyl.

John Price, Chairman of the Children of Chernobyl charity said: “We are grateful to the Lions Club in Weston for organising the day trip and to the Grand Pier for being so generous”.

Whilst the children are here they have medical and dental check-ups and there is evidence that a month in the UK strengthens their weakened immune systems.

GREAT GRAND PIER AIR DAY

2011-05-25T11:51:00.005+01:00

The Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare will be holding its very own Air Day on Wednesday 17th August.

First to perform on the day will be the Royal Artillery Parachute Team, the Black Knights, which is the official parachute display team for the Royal Artillery. They will begin their display at 11.30am. The five parachutists, who are all serving soldiers, each with between 300 and 600 jumps experience, will arrive in a Cessna 206 aircraft and will jump into an arena, which will be specially constructed on the beach.

The Black Knights will be followed at 1.30pm by the World’s only aerobatic formation wingwalking team, the Breitling Wingwalkers. They will perform a breathtaking sequence of acrobatic manoeuvres and handstands whilst strapped to the top wings of the team’s beautiful Boeing Stearman biplanes.

The team pilots will fly the aircraft through a well-rehearsed energetic routine of dazzling aerobatics and close formation flypasts as the wingwalkers wave at the crowd.

These manoeuvres include loops, rolls, stall turns and inverted flight. During this the wingwalkers will experience speeds of up to 150 mph and ‘G’ forces of up to 4 G.

At 3pm the Blades air display team will fly into the town. The Blades are among the World’s best aerobatic pilots, flying the ultimate in high-performance piston aircraft.

The Blades pilots are all former Red Arrows and they set up the UK’s only full-time civil formation team in 2005. One of the Blades first air displays was at the Beckham’s Full Length and Fabulous Ball. Their displays have been watched by 18 million people at over 150 venues.

Display highlights have included Her Majesty the Queen’s 80th birthday at Balmoral and the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I want to establish the Great Grand Pier Air Day as an annual event that people all over the country will look forward to and get the date firmly in their diaries early on in the year.

“I am delighted we have been able to secure such a varied and top quality display for our air day and I intend to build on it in future years”.

GRAND PIER WEDDING PARTY LIVE ON NATIONAL TV

2011-04-14T11:44:00.002+01:00

The Grand Pier’s street party to celebrate the Royal Wedding on 29th April will be featured live on Daybreak and on ITV throughout the day. It will be the biggest street party in Weston-super-Mare.

Daybreak will be filming live from 7am on the covered South Deck of the Pier, while the first 100 party-goers who arrive before 7am in fancy dress enjoy a free traditional full-English wedding breakfast and watch the build up to the ceremony on outdoor screens, plus a giant screen inside the Pavilion building.

There will be live music, with bands playing all of the old favourites. The Grand Pier will also be running a Royal Wedding fancy dress competition with prizes throughout the day. The overall winner will receive a weekend for a family of four people in London, with trips to some of the Capital’s top attractions.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: ”We are kicking off our street party with a full English wedding breakfast, so if you want the chance to be on live TV and receive a free breakfast you will need to be in the first 100 people to get here before 7am – in fancy dress.

“We have the perfect setting on the Grand Pier for a giant street party, whatever the weather. We want people to come along and enter our fancy dress competition and enjoy the attractions, on what is really an extra day off for the whole country.
“Many of our older visitors will be able to remember the Queen’s Jubilee parties and the street parties to celebrate the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, but some younger people will have never attended a street party before. We are determined to show them how it’s done”.

School children in North Somerset are also being invited to enter a ‘design a crown’ competition. Entrants are asked to bring along their crowns on the day, when a winner will be selected. The winner will receive a £50 Grand Pier ride voucher for themselves and a £150 ‘new equipment’ voucher for their school.

Party-goers who wish to pre-book their seat on the South Deck of the Grand Pier can do so by purchasing a £5 ride voucher. To pre-book your seat at the Grand Pier street party, please call our Events Team on 01934 646155.

A wide range of food and drink will be available to purchase, including the favourite British staple of fish and chips.

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Pier of the Year 2011

2011-04-06T11:11:00.000+01:00

The Grand Pier has been chosen as the National Piers Society Pier of the Year 2011. This follows on from the NPS presenting Pier owners Kerry and Michelle Michael with an Outstanding Achievement Award last November.

The Grand Pier now becomes the first ever pier to win the NPS award twice, having been chosen by members back in 2001.

Kerry Michael said: “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award on behalf of everyone who has worked so hard in helping us rebuild this magnificent structure, which we hope will be enjoyed by future generations for many years to come”.

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Grand Pier Book Is Published

2011-03-31T11:10:00.000+01:00

The Grand Pier has just published a pictorial book which charts the progress of the re-build, from the devastating fire of July 2008 to the opening day in October 2010.

The full-colour, 92 page book has an introduction by the Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael and it is dedicated to his mother, Mrs Nitsa Michael.

The book, which is titled ‘The Grand Pier – A 21st Century Icon’ contains some fascinating facts about the pier and the logistics the team faced, building such a large structure, a quarter of a mile out to sea.

Kerry Michael said: “We had regular photographs taken during the re-build of the Grand Pier as I wanted a documentary record of the re-building.

“When I looked though all the photographs after the opening day, I realised what a fantastic reminder they were of some of the high and low points we went through. I decided they told a fascinating story and were too important to be filed away on a computer disc somewhere, so the idea of the book was born”.

Copies of the book are available online at £8.99 each plus P+P. Click here to buy the Grand Pier Book.

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The Search Is On For a Grand Entertainer

2011-03-29T11:04:00.001+01:00

The Grand Pier is on the lookout for a multi-skilled performer to keep people entertained throughout their visit.

The attraction, which is now open all year, is searching for an engaging all-rounder who can keep visitors in the holiday mood by modelling balloons, walking on stilts, juggling or doing magic tricks and the like. The role of Grand Pier entertainer will be a full time job, and the successful performer will be required throughout the year.

Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I am looking for an outstanding performer, similar to those who keep passengers entertained on cruise ships. There must be someone who is multi-skilled, has a big personality and would love to work in such an exciting environment as the Grand Pier”.

For further information on becoming the Grand Pier Entertainer contact the HR Manager Andrew Tregenza on 01934 620238.

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Formula 1 Season Comes To Weston-super-Mare

2011-03-25T11:02:00.001Z

To coincide with the start of the Formula 1 season, Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier is launching its’ very own series of Grand Prix weekends.

During the nineteen race weekends of this year’s Formula 1 Season, everyone who tries the Pier’s Formula 1 simulators and everyone who rides on the Go Kart track will have their lap times recorded.

The person with the fastest lap time on the F1 Simulators and the person with the fastest lap time on the Go Karts, will both be declared winners of that particular weekend’s Grand Prix and will be presented with a £50 ride voucher.

The first race is the Australian Grand Prix this coming weekend and the final race is the Brazilian Grand Prix which takes place at the end of November.

As well as winning £100 worth of ride tickets each race weekend, at the end of the Formula 1 season all the winners, nineteen from the F1 Simulators and nineteen from the go karts, will be invited to a Grand Final showdown.

This will be a free event with the winner collecting an as yet to be disclosed, ‘Super Prize’ courtesy of the Grand Pier.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I am an avid Formula 1 fan myself and that’s why we have Formula 1 simulators and go karts on the Grand Pier. What better way of using them and our 300 metre long Go Kart track to create our very own Formula 1 season, here in Weston-super-Mare?
“I fully expect to have people turning up on each race weekend, trying to shave a valuable few tenths off their lap times”.

To find out more about the Grand Pier’s Formula 1 season visit this website or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

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Grand Pier To Host Weston’s Biggest Indoor Event

2011-03-09T11:00:00.000Z

Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier is about to stage the town’s biggest ever indoor concert.

Ticket sales are well on target for the Legends of Weston concert, which is due to take place in the Great Hall of the Pavilion building on Friday 18th March. At least one and a half thousand people are expected to attend the gig.

The Legends of Weston Charity Concert, which is aid of Weston Hospice, is for one night only. Four of Weston’s famous bands will take part, one of them re-forming just for this evening. The bands are Evanfly, Eastertown, the Cliff Moore Band and The Orphans.

Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I always envisaged the Grand Pier becoming a major venue on the music scene in the South West and I am very excited that we are now able to host the biggest indoor events in Weston-super-Mare. Previously, the largest venue in the town was the Winter Gardens, but the Great Hall can hold up to 5,000 people and we can run concerts for 3,000

“We fully intend to bring some big names to Weston-super-Mare. The Grand Pier is now so much more than a family entertainment centre. It is a major visitor attraction, which will bring visitors and concert-goers to the town in the daytime and evening, throughout the year”.

Some tickets are still available for the Legends of Weston concert. They can be purchased from the Grand Pier shop on the first floor at £10 or click this link ‘Legends of Weston Tickets‘ to Buy Tickets online.

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Grand Pier Visitor Numbers Soar

2011-03-03T10:58:00.000Z

The Grand Pier is rapidly becoming the most popular tourist destination in the South West.

Last week, during February half term, just over 110,000 visitors came to the Grand Pier and while they were there, they ate their way through 11,500 portions of fish and chips and an incredible 35,000 donuts.

When the Grand Pier opened its door in October half-term it received 300,000 visitors in the first week and visitor levels have remained consistently high since then.

Pier owner Kerry Michael said he was surprised by the number of visitors to the Grand Pier, in what was traditionally the closed season.

He said: “As the Grand Pier used to close after October half-term and not re-open until February half-term I had nothing to compare visitor numbers against, but I have been very pleasantly surprised by the huge continuing interest in the attraction.

“From October 23rd to the end of November we had 530,000 people come to the Grand Pier and we recorded 230,000 visitors in December. I think people have got the message that we are a year-round indoor theme park and that a wet day is a reason to come rather than an excuse to stay away”.

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Win an iPad in Grand Pier Video Competition

2011-02-24T10:56:00.001Z

The Grand Pier has launched its first big competition of the year. The Pier owners are looking for short video entries to host on their main website. The winning video, which must be no longer than five minutes, will be used as the official ‘User Created Grand Pier Video 2011’ and the winner will receive an Apple iPad plus £100 worth of Grand Pier ride vouchers.

All entrants have to do is upload their video onto a video-sharing site like Youtube and send the link to social@grandpier.co.uk with the subject heading ‘Video Entry’. Physical copies of the file will not be accepted.

The Grand Pier cannot accept links via Facebook, Twitter or Youtube pages. The only way to enter the competition is via email.

There are no entry requirements other than owning the copyright to everything in the video. It can be about anything – for your favourite ride to your day out on the Grand Pier.

Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I want to see the Grand Pier through our visitors’ eyes and to find out what they like the best about our new Pavilion. I want people to come along and whip out their phone or digital camera and create a video. The top entries will be hosted on the Grand Pier’s official Youtube page”.

The competition is open now and will close on Friday 22nd April at 9pm.

Any queries can be addressed to social@grandpier.co.uk.

Click on the following link to download the competition’s terms and conditions.

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Grand Pier Needs Volunteers To Conga

2011-02-24T10:54:00.000Z

The Grand Pier has been chosen to launch British Tourism Week this year. The owners are looking for local groups and individuals to help them celebrate Party on the Pier, which is the theme of the week, by joining in a massive Conga on Saturday 12th March at 11.30am.

The plan is to create a huge Conga of people up the quarter mile length of the Grand Pier – from the shore to the Pavilion building. Piers around the UK will also be celebrating and staging Congas up and down the country.

The week will be launched by Tourism Minister and Weston-super-Mare MP John Penrose.

Grand Pier Public Relations Manager Liz Lewis said: “We are looking for local groups, like dance troupes, sea cadets, scouts, guides and individuals to help Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier have the biggest Conga going on in the country on 12th March. The Pier has re-opened and we have a lot to celebrate, so come along, have some fun and join in the Conga with us”.

Party on the Pier will kick off the fifth annual BTW, with simultaneous parties hosted on seaside piers, harbours and jetties around the coast and on inland rivers, canals and lakes up and down the country.

John Penrose MP said: “Party on the Pier is a great opportunity to showcase a unique part of British heritage. I, for one, will be encouraging my constituency to get involved – celebrating on the brilliant newly refurbished Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare”.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I am delighted that the Grand Pier has been chosen to launch British Tourism Week. We have a lot to celebrate at Party on the Pier now that we have re-opened. I can’t emphasise how important tourism is to the local economy. Tourism in the West Country is worth more than £1 billion per annum and Weston-super-Mare is the largest local destination”.

Patricia Yates, Co-Chair of British Tourism Week said: “The Grand Pier was the obvious choice to lead our Party on the Pier launch for British Tourism Week 2011. We are sure they will lead the celebrations around the UK, reminding everyone how important tourism is to local economies and for local jobs”

BTW is organised by VisitBritain with the support of the Tourism Alliance, the UK’s national and regional tourist boards, and an Executive Committee made up of a number of public and private sector organisations.

The week aims to raise local, regional, national and international awareness of the size, value and importance of Britain’s £115 billion visitor economy. Tourism is the fifth largest industry in the UK that employs, directly or indirectly, 2.6 million people.

To take part on the Conga on the Grand Pier on 12th March at 11.30am call 01934 646152 or email liz.Lewis@agmholdings.com

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Legends Of Weston

2011-02-16T10:51:00.001Z

On March the 18th 2011 something amazing is happening on The Grand Pier!

All in aid of Weston Hospice four of Weston’s most legendary bands will be joining forces to bring the house down and attempt to raise a record amount of money! So you can enjoy an evening of fantastic music, dance the night away and all in the name of a very good cause.

Performing on the evening will be Evanfly, Eastertown, Cliff Moore Band and The Orphans.

Doors open from 5:30pm and show starts at 7:30pm

For more information and details about booking please see our official mini-site for the event:

www.grandpier.co.uk/legends-of-weston

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Grand Pier To Launch Tourism Week

2011-01-24T12:00:00.001Z

Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier has been chosen as the venue to launch British Tourism Week (BTW). This year’s BTW theme is Party on the Pier.

The week will be launched on Saturday 12th March by Tourism Minister and Weston-super-Mare MP John Penrose.

Party on the Pier will kick off the fifth annual BTW, with simultaneous parties hosted on seaside piers, harbours and jetties around the coast and on inland rivers, canals and lakes up and down the country.

John Penrose MP said: “Party on the Pier is a great opportunity to showcase a unique part of British heritage. I, for one, will be encouraging my constituency to get involved – celebrating on the brilliant newly refurbished Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare”.

Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I am delighted that the Grand Pier has been chosen to launch British Tourism Week. We have a lot to celebrate at Party on the Pier now that we have re-opened. I can’t emphasise how important tourism is to the local economy. Tourism in the West Country is worth more than £300 million per annum and Weston-super-Mare is the largest local destination”.

BTW is organised by VisitBritain with the support of the Tourism Alliance, the UK’s national and regional tourist boards, and an Executive Committee made up of a number of public and private sector organisations.

The week aims to raise local, regional, national and international awareness of the size, value and importance of Britain’s £115 billion visitor economy. Tourism is the fifth largest industry in the UK that employs, directly or indirectly, 2.6 million people.

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Rap Artist Tinchy Stryder To Play The Grand Pier

2011-01-21T12:00:00.001Z

Rap artist Tinchy Stryder is to play a concert at Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier on Friday 28th January. It is the first major music concert to be held at the venue since it re-opened to the public in October 2010. The Rapper will play to 2,000 people in the Pavilion’s Great Hall.

Tinchy Stryder rose to popularity with the song ‘Take Me Back’ which reached number three in the UK Singles Chart in January 2009. His next hit‘Number 1’ (a collaboration with N-Dubz) which entered the charts at number one in July 2009. His second number one ‘Never Leave You’ featured Amelle Berrabah from girl-group, the Sugarbabes.

Pier owner Kerry Michael said he was thrilled to have secured such a famous, chart topping artist for the first concert.

He said: “I always envisaged the Grand Pier becoming a major venue on the music scene in the South West and to have been able to sign up Tinchy Stryder is a major coup and is absolutely fantastic for us. This is the first of many big-name concerts we are planning for the Pier and I am sure the tickets will sell out very quickly”.

Tickets, which are standing only, will be on sale from 9am this Wednesday the 12th January are on sale now – click here to buy priced at £19.50 each. Tickets are only available through this official Grand Pier website.

Exclusive VIP tickets will be available at £75 each. The VIP reception will be held in the Regency Suite with canapés, bar and of course, the best view in the house closest to the stage.

Doors open at 5.30pm until 7.30pm. The bars and restaurants will be open as usual and all Grand Pier rides and attractions will also be operating.

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Karting School For Pier

2011-01-07T13:08:00.000Z

The owners of Weston’s Grand Pier are launching a junior karting school on their 300 metre long Go Kart track.

Children aged eight to fifteen, who enrol in the school, will be taken through beginner, intermediate and advanced driver training.

Lessons can now be booked on either Saturday or Sunday mornings from 9.30am to 10.30am.

Each child will be issued with its own driving licence, which charts their progression through the school and includes ‘endorsements’ for bad driving. They will be trained in safety, kart control and race technique.

The racing school will also be staging its own championship held over a series of rounds for drivers who have completed the advanced training course.

The Junior School will be launched on Saturday 5th February and the price is £25 per lesson or courses of three lessons can be purchased for £60. For more information visit our website www.grandpierkarting.co.uk

Grand Pier Go Kart track manager Russell Mabley said: “I am sure the karting school will be very popular. It’s a must for aspiring Jensen Button’s everywhere.”

To register your interest in the karting school email russell.mabley@grandpier.co.uk

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Stargazing Live at the Grand Pier

2011-01-06T12:00:00.000Z

The BBC Stargazing Live team paid a special visit to the Grand Pier to film in December.
The programme presenter, Professor Brian Cox, wanted to talk about horizons – and what better place as a backdrop than Weston bay and the Grand Pier.

Brian Cox also talked about gravity and why planets are spherical. He even used some of the arcade machines to demonstrate gravitational pull.

The programme was aired as the first programme in three on BBC 2 on Monday 3rd January. The programme is available to watch on the BBC iPlayer web site until Wednesday 12th January.

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WESTON’S GRAND PIER HOSTS ITS FIRST WEDDING

2010-12-22T12:00:00.001Z

There aren’t many wedding venues where you get to go on the dodgems just after saying ‘I do’, but that’s exactly what you can do on Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier.

The Grand Pier, which re-opened in October, hosted its first wedding in December. Hannah Love and Ben Hoskin were the first couple to be married on the Pier.

The couple exchanged their vows in the third floor Regency Suite, which has stunning views across Weston bay. The Regency suite has a huge balcony, which is also licensed for weddings, so couples can marry outside if they wish.

Ben and Hannah chose to hold their wedding breakfast for 150 guests in the Tiffany Suite. The Tiffany Suite is situated right at the end of the Pavilion building and has spectacular sea views on all three sides. The room is set apart from the main Pavilion and is a very tranquil setting.

In all, the Grand Pier offers four licensed rooms for weddings and civil partnerships. One of the most unusual wedding venues is the North Tower. This semi-circular room has floor to ceiling views of the shoreline and comes with a bridal day room, for last minute final touches.

For further information on weddings at the Grant Pier email weddings@grandpier.co.uk

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GRAND PIER TO HOST CAROL CONCERT

2010-12-14T12:00:00.001Z

Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier will host a Carol Concert at 4.30pm on Sunday 19th December.
Four churches in the town have joined together to organise the event. St Paul’s, Holy Trinity, H Church and Hope Church in Worle are working together to organise the Christmas celebration.

The concert will feature traditional carols, acts from Weston’s Got talent and local schools.

Vicar of St Paul’s Andrew Alden said: “We wanted to hold the carol concert on neutral territory, and what better place than the Grand Pier. It is a fantastic venue and we are all indebted to the owners Kerry and Michelle Michael for the speed with which they re-built the Pier. The Pier is at the heart of the town and it is the ideal venue to celebrate Christmas”.

The rides will be running as normal and the Pier will be serving up turkey dinners plus Christmas pudding at a special price of £5.95 (for one day only).

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SOMERSET TOURISM CONFERENCE A BIG SUCCESS

2010-12-08T12:00:00.001Z

Minister for Heritage &Tourism, John Penrose MP addressed over 300 delegates at the Somerset Tourism Association (STA) annual conference held at Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier in late November.

He spoke about the major changes taking place in the way destinations are marketed and praised the Somerset Tourism Association for getting together as a group to jointly market Somerset. Many of the Government’s Destination Marketing Organisations (DMO’s) are being closed down and the STA has joined together to market themselves as a destination.

He said: “The UK is excellent at promoting London, but once the tourists get there, they seldom leave. The STA is a fine example of how, in working together, they are promoting the whole of Somerset, not just the smaller towns and attractions. I see this as a model which I would like to be duplicated in other regions across the country”.

The conference was attended by all the owner operators of Puxton Park, Brean Leisure Park, Cheddar Caves, Wookey Hole Caves, Pontins and the West Somerset Railway.

Delegates were given a talk by Pier owner Kerry Michael. He spoke about the logistics of building a structure a quarter of a mile out to sea and the challenges the team have had to overcome to get the new Pavilion completed.

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MEMORIAL BALL TAKES AXENTIS MICHAEL CHAITABLE TRUST FUND TO

2010-11-19T12:00:00.001Z

A ball held on the Grand Pier in memory of Weston-super-Mare hotelier Axentis Michael, raised £215,000 for the charitable trust set up in his name.

This Axentis Michael Memorial Ball, which is organised by the Michael family and is held bi-annually, has now raised total of £565,000 for local good causes.

Nine hundred guests attended the black tie event, which is the first major function to be held on the Grand Pier since it re-opened at the end of October. Actor John Cleese was the guest of honour at the ball on Saturday evening (27th November).

Other celebrity guests included Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden from Dragon’s Den and Somerset cricketers Andy Caddick, Marcus Trescothick, Alfonso Thomas and Charl Willoughby. BBC Points West’s Alex Lovell and auctioneer and TV presenter Martin Roberts were on hand to help out with fundraising at the event.

A Citroen C1 car, donated by motor dealers, Howards raised over £11,000 when it was raffled during the event.

Axentis’ son and Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “This is the fourth memorial ball we have held, and the biggest so far. In previous years we were restricted to 500 guests as there wasn’t a venue in Weston-super-Mare big enough to take any more people.

“Before this year’s ball we set ourselves a target of breaking the half a million pound barrier in total monies raised and I am absolutely delighted to say we exceeded this by a massive £65,000.
“We have had some fantastic support and I cannot believe the generosity of all our friends and suppliers in the current economic climate. I would like to thank everyone who attended the event for their generosity”.

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BOXING EVENT CONFIRMED

2010-11-16T12:00:00.001Z

The first public event to take place on Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier will be a Boxing evening, which Pier owners have confirmed will go ahead on Friday December 3rd.
Pier owner Kerry Michael says he is confident that this event will definitely go ahead, after the disappointment of cancelling some previously booked functions, due to delays with their contractors.

The Grand Pier has teamed up with Britain’s first officially licensed female boxer, Jane Couch MBE, to promote the amateur boxing event. It will be the first of many boxing events planned throughout the year.
A special guest at the event will be former WBC heavyweight champion Tim Witherspoon. Other VIPs will be announced nearer the event.
Boxing on Weston’s Grand Pier dates back to 1904, when boxing matches took place in the 2,000 seat pavilion, along with opera, music hall and Shakespearean plays.
Amateur boxing clubs from around the South West region are being invited to sign up for the event. The evening will be one of the first big public events to be held in the brand new Pavilion building, which has the largest pillar-less performance space in the South West.
Jane Couch said: “Since I retired from boxing in 2008 I have become a boxing promoter and I am delighted to have been approached by the owners of the Grand Pier to help them stage their boxing matches. It’s great to see the traditional sport of boxing returning to the Grand Pier after its £51m re-build”.

Events will take place throughout the year in the Pavilion building, including concerts and fashion shows, along with weddings, conferences and corporate events.

Tickets for the event will go on sale shortly and are expected to cost from £10 for standing room. There will also be VIP tables available and the opportunity to attend a drinks reception with special guests.

Tickets are limited and are for sale on a first come, first served basis. To register your interest in the amateur boxing night email events@grandpier.co.uk or call 01934 646155.

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Press Statement 06/10/10

2010-10-06T15:34:00.000+01:00

The owner of the new-look Weston Grand Pier today announced that it is hoped it will be open in time for the October half-term holidays.

Pier owner Kerry Michael made the following statement today:
Ever since the devastating fire of July 2008, the public interest in the Grand Pier has been immense.

“We continue to be surprised every day by the amount of interest in this wonderful iconic structure and I would like to share with you our forthcoming plans as we work towards the re-opening of the Grand Pier and Pavilion.

“We continue to work closely with our main contractors John Sisk and Son who have today confirmed that they expect to complete their works on the Pavilion by Friday the 22nd of October.

“They have also confirmed that we will have access from today to start fitting out the building with our fixtures and fittings.
“Assuming this all goes to plan, we believe that we can open in time for the school half-term holidays starting on October 23rd.

“We are confident that the new Pavilion, with its state-of-the-art rides, attractions, function rooms and wedding venues will be a big hit with locals and tourists alike.

“We have a full diary of events scheduled throughout the winter season including Christmas Parties and Boxing Matches. We will also be hosting the Grand Final of Miss Great Britain on December 4th.

“We have spent an incredible amount of time and money to deliver what we believe is the best Pier on the world. We hope you think so too.

Thank you.

IT’S ALL GO ON THE KART TRACK

2010-10-04T15:37:00.004+01:00

Engineers are currently testing out the new Go Kart track on Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier. The 300 metre long track is the biggest ride on the Pier and cost £1 million to manufacture. It is the only electronic floor pick-up in the UK and runs over two levels.

The Go Karts are being run flat out to make sure they will be able to deal with the hundreds of people who want to have a go on this thrilling ride when the Grand Pier opens.

Ten karts are being run at a time, with ten others loading. Two additional karts have two seats so small children can ride with their parents.

The Go Kart track will be available for exclusive hire for birthday parties and corporate events. Experienced drivers will be able to drive at speeds of up to 60mph. There will even be a Go Kart school. Children from eight to 15 can sign up for the school which will take them through beginner, intermediate and advanced driver training.

Karting lessons can be booked on either Saturday or Sunday mornings from 9am to 10.30am. Each child will be issued with their own driving licence which will chart their progress through the school.

Regular Grand Prix events will be run from September where drivers can qualify, run in at least two heats and then take part in a final race to find the overall winner.
Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “Everyone always asks me about the Go Kart track. We had just built a new one when the Pavilion building was destroyed in the fire, so a lot of people remember that. This one is bigger and better and it is the first thing you notice when you walk into the Pavilion. Everyone wants to have a go, so we’re just making sure it is up to the job of being run flat out all day. I have no shortage of volunteers from my staff to help me do that”

For further information on corporate events or the Go Kart school email russell.mabley@grandpier.co.uk

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PIER OWNER BACKS CAMERON’S TOURISM STANCE

2010-09-24T14:47:00.001+01:00

Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier owner Kerry Michael has welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron’s speech on domestic tourism.

Speaking in London recently, David Cameron sought to play up the importance of the domestic tourism sector, describing it as ‘fundamental’ to the rebuilding and rebalancing of the economy.

Kerry Michael welcomed the Prime Minister’s recognition that under previous administrations there was no incentive for local authorities to encourage visitors to their destinations.

He said: “David Cameron has highlighted the very important role local authorities must play to encourage visitors to their destinations, especially in coastal resorts like ours. I believe we have been badly let down by North Somerset Council and I call on them to re-think their current strategy about investment in tourism.

“”Tourism in the West Country is worth more than £1 billion per annum and Weston-super-Mare is the largest local destination for that spend. Leaders at North Somerset Council must see the wider picture – tourism and the Grand Pier in particular is the king pin in our local economy.

Three different members of the executive have told me personally that Tourism only benefits the seafront traders so it is up to those traders to promote it and not the job of the Local Authority - they couldn’t be more wrong.

They must understand that visitors spend money all over the area and not just the seafront, they spend in our shops, in guest houses, garages in fact everywhere.

Also, those same shops and seafront traders employ people from all over the district who, without tourism, wouldn’t have jobs. So, it is naïve to suggest that tourism only benefits the seafront traders.

“We hope the appointment of John Penrose MP as Minister for Tourism will have a positive effect on Weston-super-Mare and that he will encourage his local authority colleagues to look closely at their current tourism strategy”.

David Cameron identified that, at the moment, if a local council does more to attract tourists to the area, it picks up the cost but gets none of the additional business rate revenue.

His desire is to allow local authorities to reinvest revenue made from tourism back into the local communities to help not just tourism, but all the other business sectors.

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SAY ‘I DO’ ON WESTON’S GRAND PIER

2010-09-02T10:00:00.000+01:00

Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier has been granted a licence by North Somerset Council to hold marriages and civil partnerships at the venue.

The Pier owners Kerry and Michelle Michael have already received over 100 enquiries about weddings on the Pier, from all over the UK.

Brides will really be able to make a unique entrance on the Pier, as wedding cars will now be allowed to drive right up to the Pavilion building. The newly covered walkway will also make sure wedding guests arrive in the dry.

No less than five areas of the Pier have been licensed – including one outside space. Couples wishing to tie the knot will have the choice of marrying on the large balcony of the Regency Suite, on the second floor of the Pavilion or in the large Regency Suite itself.

Weddings can also take place in the Edwardian tea rooms at the back of the Pavilion, which has stunning views out to sea on all three sides.

One of the most unusual venues on the Pier for a small wedding is the North Tower, which has a bridal room above it, for last minute preparations. This semi-circular venue has views over the bay.

The Coral Room on the first floor of the Pavilion is suitable for wedding parties of up to 40 people. This room looks to the South, over Brean Down.

Finally, the Great Hall has been granted a licence, so The Pier can cater for very large weddings of up to 850 guests if necessary.

Michelle Michael said: “We have created a very flexible wedding space here. Couples can have a completely private wedding, using our exclusive entrance on the North deck, or they can really get involved in the fun side of the venue. We are delighted by how many enquiries we have received already.

“We will be providing complete wedding and civil partnership packages, but we will also be offering wedding receptions to couples who have chosen to marry in a church or register office setting. We will be offering everything from a simple drinks and canapes reception to a full wedding breakfast”.

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Further Setbacks on Weston’s Grand Pier

2010-08-19T10:02:00.000+01:00

Contractors working on Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier have suffered another setback. The decking installed all around the new Pavilion building is already failing and it is feared that it will have to be lifted and re-laid.
Structural engineers have been called in to assess the problem and their report is awaited, but owner Kerry Michael fears the worst. He said contractors had advised him late yesterday (17th August) that they had concerns over the structural integrity of the new decking.
Kerry Michael said: “Structural engineers are looking into the design to see if it meets the requirements and if, as I fear, it does not, it will have to be stripped and re-done.
“I am bitterly disappointed at the continued delays on the project. We should have been open weeks ago and not only have we lost the entire summer, but it looks like we will be losing what’s left of the season as well.
“I can only apologise to everyone that has been waiting patiently for the re-opening – those who have booked events that cannot go ahead, the staff waiting in the wings for a start date and to the whole town and sea-front traders, who like us, are losing out every day.
“We continue to work with contractors to complete the project as soon as we can, but we are in their hands. There is little our team can do until the building is complete and handed over to us.
“Problems aside, the building is really looking good. All the rides are now fully installed and working. The kitchens are in and the function rooms and wedding venues are stunning. When it’s finished it will be something we can all be proud of, but we have to get it right and we won’t compromise on quality”.

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Boxing To Return To Grand Pier

2010-08-12T09:48:00.000+01:00

Boxing is making a return to Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier. Alex Demetriou from the Grand Pier has teamed up with Britain’s first officially licensed female boxer, Jane Couch MBE, to promote an amateur boxing event due to take place on Friday 3rd December. It will be the first of many boxing events planned throughout the year.
Boxing on Weston’s Grand Pier dates back to 1904, when boxing matches took place in the 2,000 seat pavilion, along with opera, music hall and Shakespearean plays.
Amateur boxing clubs from around the South West region are being invited to sign up for the event. The evening will be one of the first big events to be held in the brand new Pavilion building, which has the largest pillar-less performance space in the South West.
A special guest at the event will be former WBC heavyweight champion Tim Witherspoon.
Jane Couch said: “Since I retired from boxing in 2008 I have become a boxing promoter and I am delighted to have been approached by the owners of the Grand Pier to help them stage their boxing matches. It’s great to see the traditional sport of boxing returning to the Grand Pier after its £51m re-build”.
Events will take place throughout the year in the Pavilion building, including concerts and fashion shows, along with weddings, conferences and corporate events.
Tickets for the event will go on sale shortly and are expected to cost from £10 for standing room. There will also be VIP tables available and the opportunity to attend a drinks reception with special guests.
To register your interest in the amateur boxing night email events@grandpier.co.uk

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Grand Pier’s Opening Hit By Delay

2010-08-04T15:32:00.001+01:00

Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier will not re-open this month, after the project was hit by further delays.

Pier owner Kerry Michael issued the following statement today: -

“Following a meeting with contractors today, it has become clear that we will not be able to re-open The Grand Pier this month.

“Practical completion should have taken place on 25th June when we expected the keys to be handed over. However, this date has been put back repeatedly and it is now clear that contractors are still some time away from completion. Unfortunately they were unable to advise us of a revised date for the handover and we in turn, cannot set a date for opening until they do. Once we have been given a date from contractors, we will post details on our website www.grandpier.co.uk

“We are bitterly disappointed at the continued delay which we understand is causing uncertainty and concern for many people, not only those who are looking forward to the new Pavilion and its facilities but also for our suppliers, staff and other businesses in the town. We will do everything we can to ensure the Grand Pier re-opens just as soon as practically possible but until such time as we have a completion date from contractors, we can do no more”.

THE GRAND BIER FOR THE GRAND PIER

2010-07-26T14:38:00.003+01:00

Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier is to have its very own real ale. The beer, which has been christened The Grand Bier, is available on draught and also in bottles.

Regency Purchasing Group, a procurement business for food, drink, utilities and equipment, has been responsible for commissioning the beer. The beer is being brewed by the Bristol Beer Factory.

The golden ale, with an alcohol content of 4.4%, will be sold in Captain Jack’s bar on the Grand Pier and it will also be available for sale in souvenir presentation boxes, which visitors will be able to purchase in the gift shops on the Pier.

Special labels have been designed by Grand Pier staff, featuring an image of the Pier and the Grand Pier logo. The design will go onto souvenir bottles and beer hand pumps.

The Grand Bier real ale will also be available to purchase by all Regency Purchasing Group members.

Regency Purchasing Group Managing Director Alex Demetriou said: “The re-opening of the Grand Pier is something to celebrate. One of the ways we thought was appropriate to that was to commission the brewing of our very own real ale”.

The Regency Purchasing Group was established 20 years ago and is the area’s leading buying group for the leisure industry with an annual purchasing power of more than £50m. For further information on Regency Purchasing Group go to www.regencypurchasing.co.uk email info@regencypurchasing.co.uk or call 01934 646134.

RECYCLING WESTON’S GRAND PIER

2010-07-20T14:52:00.000+01:00

Decking salvaged from Weston’s Grand Pier after the fire in July 2008 has been recycled into furniture.

Over 100 benches, 80 full size tables, 320 seats and seating on the new land trains have all been made from the salvaged wood.

The remainder of the wood from the Pier went to Somerset Wood Recycling, a not-for-profit social enterprise, set up early in 2007 to re-use and recycle waste wood. The organisation supports the town by offering employment, training and volunteering opportunities for long term unemployed and those affected by mental illness living in or near Weston-super-Mare.

Somerset Wood Recycling has made a heavy outdoor chair from some of the recycled Pier wood and will present it to Pier owners Kerry and Michelle Michael when the Pier re-opens this summer.

Kerry Michael said: “I am delighted that we have been able to put the wood to some good use. I was very keen for it to be salvaged and recycled. A bit of the old Pier will still be with us as we re-open this summer. Somerset Wood Recycling’s gift of an outdoor chair is much appreciated. I am very pleased the organisation has benefitted from the wood off the Pier”.

MD of Somerset Wood Recycling Tristan Tudor said: “We’re very glad that the Michaels ‘ helped us to secure the wood collections from the Pier. A lot of the wood has been of an amazing quality and it means a lot to us that the wood came from the Pier.

“The chair we will present to the Pier is constructed entirely from old decking and was made by Jeff Conibeer, from the Bourneville Estate in Weston. Jeff came on the project through the Future Jobs Fund after being unemployed. He has produced a really distinctive chair”.

Salvaged wood from the Pier is now being made into benches to be installed all over Weston. More wood from the old Pier will also be on display at The Chocolate Gardens in Bourneville in the form of gazebos, planters and benches.

KARTING SCHOOL FOR PIER

2010-07-19T10:44:00.001+01:00

The owners of Weston’s Grand Pier will set up a junior karting school on the newly installed 300 metre long Go Kart track, when the attraction opens this summer.

Children aged eight to fifteen will be taken through beginner, intermediate and advanced driver training. Lessons can be booked on either Saturday and Sunday mornings from 9am to 10.30am.

Each child will be issued with its own driving licence, which will chart their progression through the school and it will also include ‘endorsements’ for bad driving. They will be trained in safety, kart control and race technique.

Grand Pier Go Kart track manager Russell Madely said: “I am sure the karting school will be very popular. It’s a must for aspiring Jensen Button’s everywhere.

“As well as the karting school, we will also be organising a regular Grand Prix from September, where you can qualify, run in at least two heats and then take part in the final race to find the overall winner”.

To register your interest in the karting school email Russell.mabley@grandpier.co.uk

GRAND PIER TO GET TOURIST SIGNS ON M5 MOTORWAY

2010-07-15T11:15:00.000+01:00

Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier has been granted permission, by the Highways Agency, to have brown tourism signs erected on the M5 to advertise the attraction.

Permission from the Highways Agency comes after intervention from Weston MP and Minister for Tourism and Heritage John Penrose.

An initial approach to the Highways Agency by the Pier owners Kerry and Michelle Michael was turned down.

The signs will now be put up at junctions 21 and 22 of the M5, guiding tourists to the Grand Pier,
.
Kerry Michael said: “I have no doubt that the intervention of John Penrose, on our behalf, has tipped the balance in our favour with the Highways Agency. It is very important to us that passing holiday makers and tourists know that Weston Grand Pier is back in business, and these signs will go a very long way in helping us to do that”.

TESTING TIME FOR THE NEW RIDES ON WESTON’S GRAND PIER

2010-07-08T11:13:00.000+01:00

With the opening of Weston’s Grand Pier only weeks away, the owners Kerry and Michelle Michael have begun testing out the rides.

The first two rides to be ready for testing are the Side Winder and the F1 simulators. Both of these were bought at a trade show in Florida.

The Michaels’ travelled the world seeking out the best rides for the new Pier. Michelle has looked at 52 Piers across the globe and Kerry 25. They even managed to get back-of-house tours at attractions in Las Vegas and Disney in Florida.

The two Formula One simulators are exactly the same machines that are used by F1 teams for driver training. They will have budding Lewis Hamiltons and Jensen Buttons vying for first place.

The Formula One simulators were manufactured in Holland and cost £355,000 each. The machines can be used individually or to race each other.

Drivers can choose which race track they’d like to drive around, including Zandvoort, and they can even choose the driving conditions – like a night race or a wet track.

The simulators take two passengers each and both have a sports car and rally sprint mode.

Kerry Michael said: “I defy any man not to get excited when they see the Formula One simulators in action. When I saw them I had to have them. The simulators are one of the Grand Pier’s major attractions which we expect will be popular among the ‘arrive and drive’ tourist market, frequent visitor driving enthusiasts and particularly the corporate market which will appreciate the serious professional credentials of the equipment”.

The Side Winder holds eight passengers, strapped onto a rotating disc which hangs on the bottom of a giant pendulum. The ride spins and swings passengers from the first floor of the building right out into the void of the Pavilion. The Side Winder was manufactured in Italy and cost over £300,000.

DECORATED DONKEY ARE READY TO TAKE TO THE STREETS OF WESTON

2010-07-01T11:11:00.000+01:00

Forty decorated donkeys are ready to the streets of Weston-super-Mare. The donkeys, which are made from fibreglass and resin, are being sponsored by local businesses and will brighten up the town during the summer months.

Weston Grand Pier events co-ordinator Fiona Hooper sourced the donkeys from as far away as the Philippines and has been responsible for securing business sponsorship for them. The donkeys met up for the first time at a secret location in the town this week.

Some of the donkeys will be auctioned off on the Grand Pier for BBC Children in Need in November. The BBC will be on the Grand Pier filming during the auction.

One of the donkeys will be raffled off, which will give a local person the chance to win a donkey. Another donkey will be turned into a money box for Weston Hospice. The donkeys are being painted by artists from all over the South West region.

SPIDER TO INSTALL GRAND PIER LIGHTING SYSTEM

2010-06-22T10:39:00.000+01:00

A specialist piece of machinery will be arriving on Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier this week (Monday 21st June), to install the three and a half kilometres of feature lighting on the new Pavilion building and covered walkway.

The narrow-entrance access work platform, or Spider as it is known in the trade, can fit through very narrow spaces and then stabilise itself by spreading out its legs. The arm of the Spider is capable of reaching working heights of up to 29 metres.

The work platform has been chosen for the job because of its versatility and also because it only weights 3.5 tonnes. The Spider runs on an electric battery and auxiliary engine so it is completely self-sufficient.

The Red, Green and Blue (RGB) LED feature lighting system will run the length of the waist of the Pier following the contours of the canopy from the shore end. It will then transfer over to the Pavilion building where three rows of lights will be installed throughout. The lighting system is being installed by contractors John Sisk & Sons.

The lighting system can be programmed to pulse, sending light along the Pier and across the Pavilion building in wave-like motions. It can also be programmed to be any colour.
The Spider will be delivered to the Pier on Monday 21st June. It will be brought to Weston-super-Mare from Essex by Universal Aerial Platforms.

Lee Kerr from Universal Platforms said: “The 29 metre Spider is the Rolls Royce of these machines. It is ideal when you have very tight working conditions and strict weight limits”.

Pier Owner Kerry Michael said: “Re-building the Pavilion, a quarter of a mile out to sea, has brought a whole host of logistical problems with it. We have had to use the very latest in modern technology to overcome the second fastest rising tide in the World and we have had to strictly adhere to our two ton axle weight restriction. Putting the feature lighting into position will be like putting the icing on the cake. We are now putting the finishing touches to our indoor theme park”.

Don’t forget our OPEN MIC NIGHT!

2010-06-16T09:42:00.001+01:00

The owners of Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier are organising an Open Mic Night on Tuesday 22nd June from 6pm at the Winter Gardens. They are holding the event to recruit both a resident compere and some entertainers for the coming summer season.

The compere is an important role at the Grand Pier. They keep visitors entertained in a variety of different ways from playing music from our DJ podium; mingling with the crowd - maybe accompanying them on a ride and reporting their thoughts. They will announce promotions and special offers as well as interviewing guests on what they think of the pier! It is important that they are out-going, have an excellent sense of humour and be able to think on their feet. They must also feel comfortable chatting to small groups of visitors as well as to the whole crowd via microphone from the DJ Podium.
Performers are being invited along to The Vineyard in the Winter Gardens, where they will be required to perform as a compere or to entertain the audience with singing, dancing, comedy or other act for a minimum of two minutes in front of a panel of judges and a small audience.

People who would like to perform at the open mic night are asked to email an up to date CV and a recent photograph of themselves to events@grandpier.co.uk or call now on 01934 646157.
Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “We are looking for a resident compere to work on the Pier. This will be a very important job in keeping our visitors informed and happy. We are looking for someone who is confident, outgoing and with a larger-than-life personality.

To attend, pre-registering is essential.

OPEN MIC NIGHT TO SEEK OUT ENTERTAINERS FOR WESTON PIER

2010-06-11T10:53:00.001+01:00

The owners of Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier are organising an Open Mic Night on Tuesday 22nd June from 6pm at the Winter Gardens. They are holding the event to recruit both a resident compere and some entertainers for the coming summer season.

The Open Mic Night follows on from the runaway success of the last Pier recruitment drive, when the owners organised Weston’s Got Talent. Three hundred people were successfully recruited at that event.

Performers are being invited along to The Vineyard in the Winter Gardens, where they will be required to perform as a compere or to entertain the audience with singing, dancing, comedy or other act for a minimum of two minutes in front of a panel of judges and a small audience.

People who would like to perform at the open mic night are asked to email an up to date CV and a recent photograph of themselves to events@grandpier.co.uk or call now on 01934 646157.
Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “We are looking for a resident compere to work on the Pier. This will be a very important job in keeping our visitors informed and happy. We are looking for someone who is confident, outgoing and with a larger-than-life personality.

“There are a lot of very good acts in and around Weston-super-Mare and we are keen to source local talent. We decided on the Open Mic Night after the success of our Weston’s Got Talent event and we hope lots of performers of all types will come forward to take part on 22nd June”.

Over 300 Job-Hopefulls Invited To Attend Weston's Got Talent Finale

2010-05-27T14:19:00.002+01:00

Over 300 Golden Tickets have been sent out to job seekers hoping to secure employment on Weston’s Grand Pier. The ticket invites them to attend the grand finale of a recruitment scheme dubbed ‘Weston’s Got Talent’.

The 300 plus have been whittled down from more than 2,000 applicants who attended two initial recruitments days for jobs on Weston’s Grand Pier in March. Hopefulls then queued outside the town’s Winter Gardens to apply for the 300 new jobs available including positions in security, the food and drink outlets, the accounts department and entertainment.

The final recruitment round takes place at the Winter Gardens on 20th May from 9am to 4pm. The Golden Ticket invites hopeful candidates, who made it through to the final, to come along prepared for a day of fun, food and entertainment. Each applicant will get their 60 seconds of fame when they have to give a short presentation about themselves.

Candidates will be treated to fish and chips, hot dogs, ice creams and cakes throughout the day, all provided by the Grand Pier’s chosen suppliers.

HR Manager Andrew Tregenza said: “I was absolutely delighted at the turnout on the initial recruitment days. It has been a very hard task to whittle down the applicants from 2,000 to 270 and I am sure we will be able to fill all our vacancies from the pool of talent we have locally.
“Everyone working on the Pier will be part of a big show, so we decided to stage the Weston’s Got Talent day to give candidates a feel of what it is like to be in the limelight, facing customers on a daily basis. We need the right personalities; people who are good at dealing with the public; who are self-motivated with lots of energy and enthusiasm. I’m sure it will be a lot of fun and that we will recruit some really excellent people.
“The Weston’s Got Talent grand finale is by invitation only and people will need to show their Golden Ticket to gain entry. We regret we cannot see any new people on that day”.

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Grand Pier Re-Opening Will Be A Shot In The Art To Town's Economy

2010-05-27T14:01:00.004+01:00

Almost three hundred local people have now secured jobs on Weston’s Grand Pier, after a recruitment spectacular dubbed Weston’s Got Talent.

The new jobs, along with the re-opening of the Grand Pier, after the devastating fire of 2008, will provide a shot in the arm to Weston-super-Mare’s economy.

Tourism in the West Country is worth more than £300 million per annum and Weston-super-Mare is the largest local destination. The Grand Pier is expecting to attract more than four million visitors a year.

Grand Pier bosses expect the income to increase five-fold when they re-open the attraction this summer and they hope that their investment in the town will spur other sea-front stakeholders to invest in their properties and offering. They currently see the lack of quality hotel accommodation in the town as the biggest threat to their success.

The 300 new jobs created at the Pier will go a long way into improving the local economy and unemployment statistics. Weston’s Grand Pier employed less than 100 people before the fire, so over 200 completely new jobs have been created to operate all the new Pavilion’s attractions and run the newly created wedding and conference facilities.

Pier owner Kerry Michael said: “I fully appreciate the impact the closure of the Pier has had on the town and I am very excited indeed to be on the verge of re-opening what will now be a year-round attraction. We have worked very hard to get the Pier open as quickly as possible. Our concern is that the public realm works will be the biggest deterrent for visitors this coming summer.

“We hope the appointment of John Penrose MP as Minister for Tourism will have a positive effect on Weston and we are looking forward to working with him”.

“We are sure that our newly created conferencing and wedding facilities will bring a whole new group of visitors to the Pier and into the town itself, as will our evening events programme.

“The Pier is a king pin in the economy of the town, from the coach driver who buys petrol to the day trippers who buy fish and chips on the Prom”.

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Donkeys take to the streets!

2010-04-08T09:55:00.002+01:00

Forty decorated donkeys will soon be taking to the streets of Weston-super-Mare. The donkeys, which are made from fibreglass and resin, are being sponsored by local businesses and will brighten up the town during the summer months.

Weston Grand Pier events co-ordinator Fiona Hooper sourced the donkeys from as far away as the Philippines and has been responsible for securing business sponsorship for them.

Some of the donkeys will be auctioned off on the Grand Pier for BBC Children in Need in November. The BBC will be on the Grand Pier filming during the auction.

One of the donkeys will be raffled off, which will give a local person the chance to win a donkey. Another donkey will be turned into a money box for Weston Hospice.

The donkeys are being painted by artists from all over the South West region. Worle-based artist Nick Sparks is in the process of painting the donkey sponsored by Wookey Hole Caves. His design is black and white and features a spider’s web with coloured spider on the donkey’s back.

Nick Sparks said: “Painting a donkey is a unique experience. Everyone has their own view. The whole process has been an inspiration”.

Fiona Hooper said she was still looking for local businesses to sponsor the few remaining donkeys.

She said: “Sponsoring a donkey costs just £500, which covers the cost of the donkey, the plinth it stands on and fixing it into place. Each sponsor has a plaque next to their donkey acknowledging their support.

“We have been inundated by artists wanting to have the chance to paint a donkey. All we need now is to get the last few donkeys sponsored so we can brighten up the streets of Weston and raise a lot of money for a good cause at the same time”.

For further details on how to sponsor a donkey email fiona.hooper@grandpier.co.uk

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A Rose Amongst Thorns

2010-03-31T14:00:00.001+01:00

Plumber Kady Midgley is truly a rose amongst thorns. She is the only female contractor working alongside 200 men on the reconstruction of Weston’s Grand Pier.

Kady, who is 22 and lives in Shirehampton, Bristol has been working on the Pier for the last four months. Her job is to install all the piping needed for the toilet blocks and heating systems in the new Pavilion building. She works for the contractors Joyner Morgan.

Kady was the only woman on the plumbing course she attended at the City of Bristol College and admits things can be a bit tough sometimes, but she really enjoys her job because she is doing something different every day. She says she gets the usual friendly banter but doesn’t feel at all challenged.

She said: “My family are very proud of me for being a female plumber. Working on the Pier is an absolutely fantastic opportunity. I am gaining an awful lot of experience while I am here and will be able to finish my NVQ level 3 qualification before I move on to another job. I am used to working with men and wouldn’t change my career path for anything else.

“It will be great to be able to come back to Weston-super-Mare in the future and say to people ‘I worked on re-building the Pier’. I will be part of the history”.

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GP to Stage Major Recruitment Event

2010-03-10T10:20:00.003Z

One of the largest recruitment drives in the region is due to take place this month with the Grand Pier planning a 2 day event to fill more than 250 vacancies in all parts of the business. The Pier was tragically destroyed by fire in 2008, owners Kerry & Michelle Michael invested more than £39m in an ambitious redevelopment programme that will now bring hundreds of jobs to the town.

“Work on the Pier is going according to schedule and we are on course to reopen this summer,” said Peter Angelides, AGM Group Managing Director, “We need a whole new team of people and we are looking for a very wide variety of skills and experience. We are very specific about the kind of people who will succeed as part of the new Grand Pier Team. We are looking for the highest calibre of person and not everyone is up to the demands of working in such as high-profile and dynamic business. It takes a great deal of energy, enthusiasm and the right disposition,” he added, “We are in the business of selling ‘fun’ whilst delivering the highest standards of customer service. These are the skills we will be looking for the most.”

Employment opportunities on this scale are good news for Weston-super-Mare where unemployment levels increased by over 122% last year. These new figures show a dramatic increase in the number of unemployed in the town and there are calls on the government to do more to give greater support to businesses like the Grand Pier who will become one of the region’s largest employers.

“We are taking an unusual approach to find the right people to work as part of our new team,” said Pier HR Manager Andrew Tregenza, “We are organising this three day event that will take place at the Winter Gardens, starting with two Open Days on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th March,” Andrew added, “We are looking to fill a very wide range of positions; everyone from Accounts Assistants to Restaurant Staff and we have organised some fun and entertainment to make the whole event exciting”.

Vacancies will include both full and part-time positions as well as permanent and temporary contracts right up to Supervisory level. The Grand Pier aims to build its reputation as a model employer by offering Continuous Staff Training and Development, including bespoke Apprenticeships, linked with Weston College

Doors will open at 10am on the each of the two Open Days with entertainment and refreshments organised throughout the event. Once inside, candidates will be interviewed by a member of the Grand Pier Recruitment Team and over 300 successful applicants will be invited to go forward to the Final Selection day.

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Grand Pier Welcomes a Dragon

2010-03-09T17:34:00.002Z

Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis will be joining the Weston Mile at the Grand Pier for Sport Relief on March 21st. The run is to take place up and down the waist (the long stretch between the shore and the Pier head) and then along the beach as far as the SeaQuarium. The Grand Pier will be open for the very first time since re-building work started, especially for Sport Relief so runners will get a sneak preview of the multi-million pound re-development, due to open this Summer.

The Weston Mile will be televised. Runners can choose to run 1, 3 or 6 miles and they are encouraged to get as much sponsorship as possible. All the money raised is spent by Comic Relief to help transform the lives of poor and vulnerable people, both at home and across the World’s poorest countries.

North Somerset Council has agreed to transfer this year's event from Hutton Moor Sports Centre so runners and spectators can get a sneak preview of the New Grand Pier and sea front enhancement works.

Theo Paphitis, who is Managing Director of Ryman Stationery, is busy encouraging his 2,500 Ryman employees and their millions of customers nationwide to raise in excess of £100,000 for Sport Relief.

Theo said, “Having recently returned from a trip to Kenya with fellow Dragons where we saw the positive impact of money raised through Sport Relief, I am more determined than ever to raise loads of cash. The experience was completely humbling. It’s great to know that the money raised will transform the lives of those in desperate need across the UK and world’s poorest countries.”

Pier Owner Kerry Michael, who will also be running alongside Theo in the event, added “I’m thrilled that we are able to host the event for Sports Relief on the Pier this year. We will all be running to raise as much money as possible for some really great causes.

To join Theo, Kerry and the Grand Pier Team on the day and help them raise as much money as possible for Sport Relief, log onto www.sportrelief.com search for Weston-super-Mare and then sign up to run or please give as much as you can and help needy people all around the World.

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Grand Pier Topping Out Ceremony

2010-02-04T13:50:00.000Z

Yesterday, (Wednesday 3rd February) saw the 'Topping Out Ceremony' carried out on Weston super Mare's Grand Pier. The re-building of the famous landmark, which was devastated by fire in July 2008, is now well on the way and scheduled to re-open this summer.

After tightening the last bolt to secure the roof onto the north east tower, Pier owner Kerry Michael addressed more than 100 people who attended the ceremony, he thanked the Main contractors John Sisk & Son Limited and all the workforce, particularly those who had worked through the recent poor weather conditions and he also said that despite currently being behind schedule, he was confident the works would finish on time.

The Grand Pier is scheduled to re-open in June following a £39million re-building programme that includes state of the art rides sourced from all over the world. Kerry said, 'Having overcome the initial shock and despair of losing the Pavilion, we went through difficult process of obtaining all the necessary permissions and now finally, we are in the exciting phase where we can see the building taking shape every day. The internal fit out begins next week and we can't wait for the day it opens'.

Grand Pier opens for Sport Relief

2010-02-02T13:41:00.001Z

Sainsbury's Sport Relief is coming to the Grand Pier. The Weston Mile has moved from its former home at Hutton Moor sports centre to Weston's Grand Pier. The run is to take place up and down the waist (the long bit between the shore and the Pier head), so runners and spectators will get a sneak preview of the multi-million pound re-development.

Grand Pier Marketing Manager Helen Ritchie said, 'We plan to stage the event along the waist of the Pier with runners going up and down each side around the spectators who will have a close up view of both the new Pavilion and the runners from their vantage point right in the middle of the run. This will be the first time that the general public will get a close up view of the New Pavilion which is now really taking shape and should be complete externally by the day of the race'.

The televised event which can be seen on BBC1, will take place on Sunday March 21st starting from 2pm. Runners can choose to run 1, 3 or 6 miles and they are encouraged to get as much sponsorship as possible. All the money raised by the public is spent by Comic Relief to help transform the lives of poor and vulnerable people, both at home and across the World’s poorest countries.

Grand Pier management and staff will also be taking part in the event having entered their own team. If you would like to sponsor the team please go to www.sportrelief.com and click on “sponsor/donate”, then search for the Grand Pier.

If you’re feeling fit and fancy a sneak peek at the new Pavilion, why not enter your own team and join us or just come along and watch and support the fundraising on the Grand Pier on March 21st.

Weather Allows Work to Continue

2010-01-19T10:08:00.001Z

After three weeks of waiting, the weather finally thawed last Friday and made it possible for the first concrete to be poured on the Grand Pier since the re-build started last September. Concrete was pumped from the shore along the entire length of the waist and contractors were able to create the floor of the 3rd floor plant room and the 250 seater conference room at the front of the second floor overlooking the town.

A relieved Richard Sutton of John Sisk & Co, the Main Contractor said, 'we have been waiting for over three weeks for the weather to break so we could pour the concrete, if it wasn't bad enough having to pump it a quarter of a mile, the inclement weather meant it kept freezing before it got to where we needed it. We are pleased to have finally managed to get it out there and weather permitting, we hope to do another large pour next Wednesday'.

Visitors to the seafront can now see the beginning of a 100-metre long and 20 metre high scaffolding ramp being created in front of the new Pavilion. This is to give access so the roof sheets can be rolled at the shore in one piece and carried along the waist and onto the roof. Each piece is over 80 metres long, this is to ensure that there are no joins that could give rise to troublesome leaks in the future.

They are usually rolled and lifted straight onto the roof but the machine that is used weighs more than 25 tons and cannot be taken onto the Pier so the sheets will have to be carried out and lifted into place by hand. Owner Kerry Michael said, 'this is just one of the many logistical problems we have had to overcome on this project. I can only applaud the way the contractors (John Sisk) continue to overcome the unique challenges that are being thrown at them. Let's hope the worst of the weather is now behind us and we can manage to claw back the lost time'.

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Panoramic Tower Delay

2010-01-08T12:26:00.002Z

The Panoramic Tower at the Grand Pier won't be ready in time for the re-opening this summer. The deal with the original Italian suppliers fell through and despite sourcing a new supplier, delivery date guarantees were not forthcoming.

Kerry Michael said, 'we have to be open as soon as possible and we are not prepared to risk a delay to the re-opening for the sake of the tower. Therefore, we will open as planned and continue our negotiations with the new manufacturer so that we can have the tower in place for the following season. We are still committed to delivering it as promised but we need to make sure everything is right, for example, the foundations that are already in place were designed for the original tower and are likely to require modification and because the design is slightly different, we may even require an amendment to our planning permission and there is simply not enough time to do this and meet the re-opening date this summer.

Although the current weather conditions are providing their own challenges for us, we are confident that The Grand Pier will re-open on time and we cannot let anything affect that. We will still have 18 brand new rides and attractions for everyone to enjoy and the tower will give us all something to look forward to the following summer season.

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On track for summer opening

2010-01-05T14:13:00.003Z

The Grand Pier rebuild has progressed well over the Christmas period. The steel forming the upper floors has been installed and although not yet waterproof, most of the roof sheeting has also been installed. The general shape of the building and towers is now clearly visible.

Kerry Michael said, "The weather is quite kind to us at the moment without much wind, however the cold weather means that we cannot pour concrete to create the floors. Hopefully if we get a break in the cold weather next week, we can catch up then."

The large floating barge and crane have completed their work and have now left site. The remaining works will be completed using the spud leg barge, although we will probably need the big barge back again to erect the Panoramic Tower when that is delivered.

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The re-build continues!

2009-12-22T14:48:00.003Z

The Grand Pier Pavilion re-build continues at pace with this week seeing the cladding to the southern elevation being completed, the northern elevation more than half way complete and work has also started on cladding the towers. Also, the roof is almost completely covered with the 'under sheet' that sits beneath the final waterproof sheeting of the main roofs.

The metal floors creating the first and second levels are in place and ready for the concrete to be poured early in the New Year.

Kerry Michael said, 'we are pleased with the progress we are making however we have slipped a little due to the adverse weather throughout December. We are hopeful to make up any lost time as soon as the building is fully enclosed and in the dry. It's taking shape now and for the first time you can see the outline and scale of the new Pavilion. The response from the public has been fantastic as the building goes up and we are all very encouraged by the support we are receiving'.

Check out our webcam for latest images: www.grandpier.co.uk/grand_pier_webcam.asp

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Re-build is Racing Ahead!

2009-12-15T17:42:00.003Z

The Grand Pier re-build is racing ahead. Most of the structural steelwork for the Main Pavilion has now been erected and contractors are starting on the new building which is going on the Pier head. The large steel panels that cover the entire surface area of the Pavilion creating the new floor have also now been installed.

The first roof sheets are going on and cladding has started to the north elevation. Progress with this should significantly increase this week as a number of additional staff have been drafted in to speed up the build. The front of the new building has been scaffolded to facilitate access.

Pier owner Kerry Michael said, ‘although contractors have been working for most of this year, their work was mostly beneath the deck and it’s only now that the building is springing up above the deck that people can actually see what’s happening.

We are receiving hundreds of letters and emails every week and the web cam hits are growing every single day so people are really noticing what’s going on. We expect to carry on making good progress and we are confident of achieving our opening date, the only threat is the weather but the last few days have been good for us.

For the latest images, please see our Facebook Gallery: November 2009

Also, please check out our new webcam: Located HERE

Creative thinking needed to solve Grand Pier challenges

2009-11-11T16:32:00.001Z

How do you get a 60 tonne crane onto a jack up barge that is 240m out to sea and is 30 times too heavy to move down the Pier?
You build a ramp, 20 metres long and 3 metres high out of sand to allow the crane to drive from the last point of the shore that it can reach, to the barge.

The new “jack-up” barge was tested this week to make sure that it can be properly secured in the Weston mud. With this test successfully passed, the ramp will now be created with 2 diggers and 2 dumpers taking sand from inside the Grand Pier fence line. After the crane has reached the safety of the barge, the sand will be replaced.
Joint owner of the Pier Kerry Michael said: “This is one of many creative solutions that we have had to come up with to solve the challenges that are created in building this extraordinary Pier. I’m sure there will be many more improvisations before we are finished!”

Richard Sutton is the Senior Contracts Manager for main contractor John Sisk. He said: “We have checked with Natural England about moving the sand and they have given us the all clear as there will be no problem or harm to the environment. The ramp was the quickest method to put the crane on the barge.”

Read All About It

2009-11-11T16:25:00.000Z

The story of Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier will start unfolding along the seafront hoardings surrounding the Pier’s building site from next Thursday (12th November). The 180 square meters of hoardings are currently painted white but soon will show a complete time-line of the Pier, following its history from the original opening in 1904 to the present day.

Pier Owner Kerry Michael said: “These barren hoardings will soon be brought to life. The design is packed with information, facts and figures, photographs, history and fun. It will make the walk along that part of the seafront more interesting as there will be something for everyone to enjoy. A special children’s area has been created and “peep holes” will be cut into the design so everyone can see what is going on. We wanted the design up in time for the Carnival.”

The designs have been produced by the Grand Pier using its own archive material and items sent in from the public. Some reproductions, such as a front page of the Weston & Somerset Mercury showing pictures of the 2008 fire will also appear. The designs will be digitally printed on pvc banner material and produced in 10 ft lengths.

Happy Birthday Grand Pier

2009-11-05T15:46:00.001Z

The Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare will quietly celebrate its 106th birthday on Saturday. On 7th November 1903 work started on the building of the original Grand Pier. The contractors were Mayoh & Haley of London. The celebration will be low-key because the focus of the company is directed completely towards the rebuilding.

The Grand Pier always has a bursting email box with followers from around the world. Recently received was an email from Anne Mayoh, the grand-daughter of Arthur Mayoh, of Mayoh & Haley. Anne is also the daughter of Karl Mayoh who worked on the Pier in 1931. She now lives in Australia.

Kerry Michael, owner of the Grand Pier said: “We were so pleased that Anne got in touch with us as we love receiving interesting items for our social history files. I have invited Anne and her husband to attend one of our opening events and I very much hope she will visit the new Pier and be impressed by our work.”

The Grand Pier moves into constructive phase

2009-10-26T09:31:00.003Z

After £9 million has been spent on clearing the debris, driving in piles and making good the basic structure of the Pier, visible construction has now started.

In the last three weeks, approximately one third of the structural metal decking units have been laid. The metal decking units, made from polyurethane sandwiched in between 5mm steel sheets, are usually used in ship building. They are nearly 10 metres long and 2 metres wide and are being placed on to new structural steels to form the deck of the Pier’s new main pavilion.

The metal decking units have been manufactured in Holland and then shipped to Southampton where a special coating and paint is applied giving a minimum life span of at least 60 years and a minimum maintenance free period of 30 years.

Local company William Haley of East Brent is fabricating the steel structure for the new Pavilion and they are expected to start erecting it next week. The framework will be lifted into place by a 180 tonne crane that operates from a barge floating next to the Pier.

There is approximately 1,100 tonnes of steel in the new structure and project managers anticipate that they will be erecting more than 100 tonnes per week.

Photo shows: Aerial view of progress on the floor of the Pavilion

Weston on the map for trade visit

2009-10-16T09:30:00.000+01:00

A record turn out of over 100 members of the UK’s largest leisure industry association representing commercial leisure parks, piers, zoos and static attractions sector visited the West Country yesterday.

BALPPA, the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions visited Wookey Hole, Bristol Zoo and Brean Leisure Park before moving onto Weston where the group has not been for over 17 years. In Weston, the members had a sumptuous 3-course lunch at the Thatched Cottage Restaurant on Weston super Mare's seafront and a presentation on the rebuilding of the Pier from Kerry Michael, joint owner of the Pier. The group then took a tour of the Pier building site.

He said: We were delighted to welcome major operators such as Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Drayton Manor Park and Crealey to our operation in Weston and I was particularly pleased with the support and encouragement we received for the rebuilding of the Grand Pier. We look forward to welcoming them back for the grand re-opening next July.

Colin Dawson, the Chief Executive of BALPPA said: “We had a fantastic meal at the Thatched Cottage and it was both exciting and encouraging to see the excellent work being progressed on The Grand Pier. There was a good turnout of members for the visit and over £2,500 was raised for a local charity, The Seashore Centre at Weston General Hospital. Our organisation speaks for over 300 members and we are currently lobbying government on a number of issues of importance to our Members including the introduction of Daylight Saving to allow an extra hour of usable daylight throughout the year which will provide an important boost to all UK tourism businesses.

Mumbles Pier owner John Bollom was in the BALPPA party. He said: “As a pier owner myself, I was amazed to see the speed and amount of work that has been carried out on Grand Pier in only 15 months since the tragic fire.

“Weston is lucky to have a pier owner that is able to mobilise the necessary resource for a project of this size so quickly. It must be difficult for an average person to appreciate the difficulties and problems in constructing a structure of this scale in such a hostile and awkward environment. In over 40 years involvement with seaside piers this is the largest single development I have witnessed. I am very much looking forward to seeing the finished result next July.”
Picture shows: BALPPA delegates on the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare.

Churchill School visit

2009-10-12T09:00:00.000+01:00

Five A2 level product design students from Churchill School received special permission to go onto the Grand Pier building site as background for their design projects. One of the students, Liam Barnett, is designing and making a bench and the other students are designing an educational wall display within the new soft-play area of the pier. The students and their teacher Mark Barham were joined by the Pier’s Marketing Manager Jane Owen and the Sisk Site Manager Terry Cotton. The blustery conditions made it difficult to handle the floor plans but the students got a close-up view of the construction work.

Our picture shows: (L to r) Terry Cotton, Sisk Site Manager; Jane Owen, Marketing Manager for The Grand Pier, and students Hannah Cannock, Amy Hutson, Amie Johnston, Sonny Davies and Liam Barnett.

Safe Have for Grand Pier barges

2009-10-06T09:00:00.000+01:00

A new deep-water anchor site at Brean Down is being arranged for Weston’s Grand Pier barges so that they can take cover close by when bad weather threatens.

After the Force 8 gale predictions last weekend, the first barge was obliged to take cover in Cardiff Dock until the storm passed. The new deep water anchor will provide a safe haven for any barges that are working at the Pier should the weather turn bad again.

“It is imperative that we don’t lose too much time over the winter and this solution seems very sensible. We have a schedule to keep to and we have got to minimise the effects of the weather,” said Kerry Michael, joint owner of the Grand Pier.”

The second barge, with its 180 ton crane attachment, arrived at the Pier on Sunday along with the original barge that had fled to Cardiff for safety. The 2 barges are starting work laying the floor panels for the main Pavilion. This work will take several weeks and will be followed by the erection of the main steel structure.

Grand Pier finds solution to latest weather problem

2009-10-01T09:00:00.000+01:00

With force 8 gales predicted over the next few days, the first barge working on the Grand Pier will be moved today to Cardiff docks and return on Monday 5th October, weather permitting.

Although this will slow down the progress this week on the decking that is currently being laid, a solution has been found so that work will be able to press ahead and keep on track.

The mobilization of the third barge and crane is being brought forward and a more expensive option is being used. The new barge will be a “jack-up” barge and is less susceptible to weather conditions.
“We are pleased that our contractor, John Sisk & Son, is as determined as we are to open on time,” said Kerry Michael, joint Pier owner. “The new barge will be on site in a few weeks time and will be transported by road to Cardiff docks and towed from there.”

The second larger barge with the 180 ton crane is expected to arrive this Sunday 4th October.

New attractions on the pier will include a panoramic tower where up to 40 people at a time can enjoy a smooth and spectacular ride up to obtain a 90 metre view of the town. Other 21st century rides will include a new Fun House, 2 level go-kart racing, a psychedelic experience and a laser room.

Firm favourites, such as dodgems, ghost train and arcade games will be back too along with fabulous food and new facilities for younger visitors.

The Grand Pier's got Talent!

2009-09-07T09:00:00.001+01:00

When the WSM STREETFEST hits town on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September opposite the Tropicana, there will be plenty of scope to show off your dance moves. Even better, the winners of the dance competition will be performing at the opening of Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier in 2010. This exciting prize will bring the winners a huge opportunity to display their talents to a wide audience.

Pier owners Kerry and Michelle Michael have promised a spectacular series of opening events that may last over several weeks. Kerry Michael said: “We are happy to support local talent and showcase it at our opening events. We can certainly give a guarantee that there will be a lot happening on the Grand Pier next summer.”

Britain’s Got Talent 2008 finalist NEMISIS will be performing at the WSM STREETFEST event on both days and there will be the chance to dance alongside them and learn some of their moves.

Angle Ring supplies pipe clamps for Grand Pier

2009-09-01T17:49:00.000+01:00

The Angle Ring Company has supplied purpose-made pipe clamps for the repair and refurbishment of the Grand Pier at Weston-Super-Mare.

The pipe clamps, manufactured for use with cast-iron or steel columns of 282-460mm (d), are being used on the cross-leg bracings.

The fabricated Angle Ring products are designed to be more robust and substantial than conventional pipe-clamp products which are available for this purpose.

They have been formed from 20mm mild steel plate, cut to 70 or 75mm widths, and supplied, shaped, drilled and bevelled to contractual requirements.

600 clamps have been supplied to date, with a further 870 on order or in production.

With either two or four clamps required at each clamping point (depending upon the column location), it is anticipated that further clamps will be required to facilitate full completion of repair work, which is designed to provide longevity to the pier, with a target of completion by June 2010.

Source: Manufacturing Talk

The contractor to rebuild the new pavilion at Weston-super-Mare’s historic pier has been appointed.

2009-08-06T09:31:00.000+01:00

With the piling work now complete and the enabling work to strengthen the pier structure progressing, John Sisk & Son will now start work as soon as possible to restore the historic tourist attraction that was burnt down in a devastating fire on 28 July 2008.

If work runs on schedule, the owners, Kerry and Michelle Michael, plan to reopen the pier in June 2010.

Kerry Michael, owner of the pier said: “Almost one year on from the fire we’re pleased to have appointed a contractor to rebuild the pavilion. Although the deadlines we have set are very tight I’m hopeful we can get the work complete on time ready for people to enjoy the new pier and all its attractions next summer.

"The Pier is a unique structure and building anything a quarter of a mile out to sea is a challenge for any contractor so we’ve had to be meticulous in our selection. I’m now looking forward to working with the Sisk team and making sure we deliver the World’s greatest pier on time and on budget.

“The aim is to be open at the end of June but if we have good weather this winter there is a chance we could complete earlier, conversely severe weather could still delay the project.”

"The design team have worked diligently and tirelessly to get us to this point so quickly, they have met the very stringent timescales we have set all the way through the project and I am delighted now to have reached the most exciting part when the building begins to take shape.

“I would like to thank everyone on the team for all their efforts to date and I look forward to continuing our work with them to restore this magnificent structure which I hope will be the catalyst for the re-generation of the whole town."

New attractions on the pier will include an 90 metre high panoramic tower where up to 40 people at a time can enjoy a ride and spectacular view of the town; a new Fun House; Go-karts; surf board ride; psychedelic experience; Mirror Maze, robocoaster and laser room.

Firm favourites, such as dodgems, ghost train and arcade games will be back along with improvements, such as an Edwardian Tea Room and new facilities for younger visitors.

Sisk is a national building contractor with projects throughout the UK. It has its headquarters in Hertfordshire and a regional base in Avonmouth, Bristol. In the UK, Sisk has revenues of over £200 million and a staff of 400 people across its 6 business units.

Paul Wilson, managing director of Sisk said: “It is clear how devastating the fire has been, not just for the Pier but for the people of Weston-super-Mare who must have thought this was the end for their biggest tourist attraction.

“Sisk will restore the excitement and grandeur of the historic Pier but with 21st Century facilities for its visitors. We will use our building expertise on what is a major engineering challenge to rebuild the Grand Pier for the important tourist trade in summer 2010.”

Grand Pier - one year on

2009-07-28T11:00:00.001+01:00

The first anniversary of the fire that destroyed Weston-super-Mare’s Grand Pier sees the structural rebuilding work completed and the pier now ready for its new pavilion to be created.

The devastating blaze on the morning of July 28, 2008 will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it. The pier fire made headlines all around the world with over three million people watching footage of the destruction online.

For pier owners Kerry and Michelle Michael, the brother and sister who grew up opposite the pier, it was the most devastating day of their lives as they saw their business go up in smoke before their eyes.

Before the fire brigade had finished their work on the pier the owners had pledged that it would be rebuilt.

On the first anniversary that pledge is well on the way to being fulfilled with the completion of major structural and piling work that means the pier structure is now ready for the new pavilion to be created.

Planning permission has been achieved for the new 21st century pier that will reflect the traditions of the old pier and plans are in hand for the pier to reopen in time for the summer 2010 season.

Said Kerry Michael: “The piling work that had to be carried out to enable the new pavilion structure to be supported has now been completed. Work also had to be carried out on some areas of the superstructure that had been damaged by the fire and specialists have had to be sure that we could build the new pavilion on a structure designed 100 years ago.

“It has been a long, tough year and we have not had time to even think about what has been achieved so far. There is a long way to go and we won’t be happy until we open the gates for the first time to the first visitor and Weston has its pier back in place as the main focus of the Sea Front and a major attraction for the whole town.

“For the last few weeks we have been in detailed talks with a number of contractors who have responded to our tender for the main building work. We hope to appoint that contractor very soon and they will be working to a tight timetable.”

Michelle Michael said: “The reaction from the public was overwhelming and so many people have been in touch with us to say how much they love the pier and to say how much they want to see it back.

“They helped us to choose an exciting design for the new pavilion and we have been all over the world looking at rides and attractions for the new pier. There is still a massive amount of work to do but a year on we are well on track to have the best pier in the world opened next summer.”

New attractions on the pier will include a 90 metre high panoramic tower where up to 40 people at a time can enjoy a ride and spectacular view of the town; a new Fun House; Go-karts; surf board ride; psychedelic experience; Mirror Maze robocoaster and laser room.

Firm favourites, such as dodgems, ghost train and arcade games will be back along with improvements, such as an Edwardian tea room and new facilities for the youngest visitors.

Photographer to Chronicle Pier Reconstruction

2009-06-11T17:21:00.004+01:00

West Country photographer Chris Abbott has been given the task of recording the rebuilding of Weston's Grand Pier for posterity and appointed as the official photographer of the rebuild.

Chris, from Somerset, will be chronicling work on the £34 million reconstruction stage by stage until its completion in 2010.

He will be given unique access to the site by pier owners Kerry and Michelle Michael to create a documentary record of the work.

"I feel very privileged to be involved in this historic project. It's not everyone who gets to photograph a phoenix as she rises from the ashes."

Chris was selected after the pier owners interviewed several local photographers to find the right one to commission.

Michelle Michael said: "We simply liked Chris' work. We wanted someone that would capture the atmosphere of the rebuild as it is an event that will only happen once and we know that images will be so important to future generations.

"During the rebuild there may be opportunities to take pictures that people will be proud to hang on their wall as art and there will be events that show the people, equipment and work methods used.

"He has already captured some stunning images that show the massive piles that are being driven into the sea bed. This is the only time these will be seen on the surface and the pictures capture the scale of the work."

Work to rebuild the pier is on target with support piles for the attraction's new 85 metre observation tower currently being driven into the sea bed.

Father of two Chris, who studied photography at Bridgwater College, launched his business Chris Abbott Photography two years ago.

To find out more about Chris Abbott's work visit:
www.chrisabbottphotography.com

This is just a preview of Chris' work so far on the Pier, stay tuned for new photos of the latest building work!

Grand Pier rebuild back on track!

2009-06-04T11:01:00.003+01:00

North Somerset Council and the Grand Pier Company have reached an agreement on a number of issues related to the redevelopment of the attraction.

Since last week when news first broke that there was a problem, the two sides have met every day and negotiated an agreement that means the £34million project will continue in earnest.

Grand Pier co-owner, Kerry Michael said: "We are grateful to the Leader of the Council who personally took control of the negotiations. We have worked through the issues to reach a solution which is acceptable to all. Once the key decision makers were all together, we very quickly reached agreement and after that it was just a matter of putting the relevant professionals together to formalise the agreement.

“All we want to do is to get on with the re-building of the Grand Pier, a project which we hope will be the catalyst for the continuing regeneration of the town."

Cllr Nigel Ashton, Leader of North Somerset Council, added: "Following the fire last year which destroyed the pavilion we have worked closely with the owners and will continue to offer our support to them in their efforts to re-build the attraction."

This means that work on the redevelopment of the Pier can progress as planned and on time in accordance with the original completion date of summer 2010.

North Somerset Council and the pier owners both remain fully committed to the redevelopment of this important landmark site.

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Additionally, we would like to thank everyone for the many messages of support of we have had on our Facebook page, in emails via our web site and also letters received over the last few days.

Save Our Pier!

2009-05-29T11:01:00.006+01:00

As some of you may be aware, the Grand Pier is in a battle with North Somerset Council regarding the rebuild.

We do not think this is acceptable and we would like as many of our friends to support us by telling the council just how important it is for everyone that our Pier is rebuilt as soon as possible.

Our ambition is to build the best Pier in the world that everyone will want to visit; most importantly a place that people of Weston-super-Mare will be proud of and, in turn, will make Weston-super-Mare one of the best seaside resorts in the UK.

North Somerset Council are now preventing us from achieving our goal, due to the continuous spiralling costs they are demanding.

We now need your help to save your Pier.

An Official Statement from Kerry Michael (Grand Pier co-owner):

“To enable the new pier to open in time for the summer of 2010 we need to appoint a main contractor to build the new pavilion by the end of June. We fear that we will not be in a position to do that because of a hellish battle we are having with North Somerset Council.

The entire pier project is costing £34million and it will undoubtedly bring prosperity to Weston-super-Mare, and is crucial to the town’s future. Our aim is to build the best pier in the world and for Weston-super-Mare to be a major destination for holiday makers, day trippers and locals alike.

But a series of demands from North Somerset Council, and failure to agree terms with them as adjoining land owners have put the project in jeopardy.

Our estimate of the cost of legal fees for concluding agreement with NSC was originally £20,000, but due the continually changing position of the Council that figure has now exceeded £150,000. Additionally, we are no nearer an agreement today than we were when we started.

Despite personally reaching agreement on costs with the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council two weeks ago, they have moved the goal posts again, and have come back this week demanding we also pay for a gate in their new splash wall and for a seafront traffic light system - adding more than £100,000 to the costs. This is just not acceptable. We fear that even if we agreed to this as well, they will just keep coming back for more and more as they have been doing for months.

We are being charged rent for the beach we are using to get building materials to the pier as the pier waist is not strong enough and rent for the builders’ compound, also on the beach. The council is trying to make a profit out of this tragedy.

The Council is also asking us to pay land management and licence fees, council legal fees, and even the cost of a council employee to keep tabs on us to make sure we are doing everything properly.

North Somerset claims that it is paying half the cost of our coach stop. The truth is that we agreed to pay for whole cost ourselves - until they told us it also had to be used for deliveries, as a bus stop and in fact, anyone could use it. Instead of us building it as we originally offered, it was agreed that they would build it and we would contribute 50% to reflect the fact that it is not now going to be for our sole use. That is very different to their claims that it is paying half ‘for us’.

The perception is that North Somerset Council is bending over backwards to assist us in the re-building of the pavilion but that is not the reality. We originally feared the planning system and to their credit, planning officers dealt efficiently and diligently with our application and it was processed within the expected timescales. But trying to deal with North Somerset as adjoining land owner has been impossible.

We are desperate to re-build the Pavilion and create something that not only we but the whole town can be proud of. Despite the recession, we have pressed ahead as fast as we possibly could to deliver a World class attraction and create more than 200 jobs in the process. If the Council is demanding all these costs because they are trying to be commercial, they should look at the commercial loss to the area if our plans don’t go ahead.”

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Grand Pier work on course

2009-05-27T14:47:00.004+01:00

Work to rebuild the Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare is on target with support piles for the attraction’s new 85 metre observation tower due to be driven into the sea bed next week.

So far 22 steel piles have been driven into the sea bed by Commercial Marine Piling to support the new pavilion, which is planned to open in time for the 2010 summer season.

Contractors Commercial Marine Piling is carrying out the work using a specialist jack-up barge brought to site to cope with the high tides. At the same time shot blasting work underneath the pier is also being carried out and replacement of steelwork damaged in the fire that destroyed the old pavilion in July last year.

Image shows the barge next to the Grand Pier.

Contracts for the construction of the new pavilion, which will house exciting amusements and rides for the public, have now gone out to tender.

Co-owners Kerry and Michelle Michael are continuing their worldwide search to find some of the most up-to-date rides and attractions for the new pavilion. But they are also finalising plans for old favourites, such as the Fun House, go-kart track and a traditional helter-skelter.

Michelle Michael said: “Every day sees progress being made and we are working to a tight timescale. So far everything is on course with the piling and superstructure clean-up and we can’t wait for the next stage.”

The Fun House will be twice the size of its predecessor and will be three storeys high with lots of thrills and tricks for those who enter. There will also be “psychedelic experience” where the fun starts by putting on special glasses and entering a world of “mind-blowing” visions from the Sixties.

Image shows an illustration of how the new Crazy House & Psychodelic Trip will look.

Kerry Michael said: “We want this to be the best pier in the world and for that we need to have the best rides, the biggest laughs and the most fun. There are designers and ride specialists working on getting that right for us all over the world.

“The pavilion structure is important but what will entertain local people and also attract people to Weston will be what they find when they go inside. We want to create the fun of a seaside holiday and also an all-year round attraction where local people can let their hair down and enjoy themselves.”

Kissing on Piers...

2009-05-08T14:23:00.003+01:00

It started with a kiss. Now Hazel Costin and Jay Preller's romance is taking them on a round-Britain tour from pier to eternity.

The couple aim to have a kiss on every pier in the British Isles before they get married at the end of Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier where they first met – and they plan to publish a love story with a difference about their seaside challenge

Last weekend they travelled to the Isle of Man to visit Queen's Pier in Ramsey and its locked gates were specially opened so the lovebirds could be photographed having their kiss.

The structure is deemed too dangerous, however, for them to take a walk to the end but the couple hope to return one day - if and when the pier is restored to its former glory.

Hazel, 39, a teacher, and self-employed decorator Jay, 51, initially made friends on the internet but arranged to meet for a coffee on the Grand Pier in their home town of Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, in July 2007.

'We hit it off straight away, becoming "an item" a few weeks later!' said Hazel. 'We had our first kiss on the end of the pier.'

A devastating blaze at the Grand Pier in July the following year and a blaze at Fleetwood a few weeks later led to the idea of the book.

Hazel explained: 'We suggested there wouldn't be any piers left to have a kiss at the end of unless we went round to see them all.'

Ramsey's Queen's Pier is the 35th of 56 British piers they have visited so far and they plan to get married at the end of Weston's Grand Pier as soon as it's refurbished, hopefully in late May 2010.

Their book is provisionally titled From Piers to Eternity.

'We are a bit overawed at all the attention as we didn't expect to be taken this seriously, but have met some lovely people who have made visiting some of the beautiful piers possible!' said Hazel.

During their visit to Queen's Pier, the couple were given honorary life membership of the Friends of Queen's Pier by the group's chairman Fred Hodgson.

Hazel said of the pier: 'It's such a shame – it's the sixth longest pier in Britain. It looks better than we thought it would be. Structurally it's sound. We will return when they save it!'

Jay said he was convinced a use could be found for the pier.

He said: 'If people see a pier they've got to walk to the end – they can't just walk past. Refurbishing the pier will bring people into Ramsey. If they could make the entrance bigger may be they could use it for a motorbike museum.'

A Council of Ministers working party is due to report back in the autumn with its options for refurbishing the pier.

Fred said: 'It is common knowledge that piers are a great draw for the public.

'A few years ago a couple had some of their wedding day photos taken during our open day and now Hazel and Jay have come over to celebrate the part that piers played in their lives.

'Perhaps we have stumbled on yet another use for the pier as a venue for weddings. I hope to see them both back on the Island to walk the full length together in the near future.'

Source: Isle of Man Today

New thrill-seeking rides for Grand Pier

2009-05-07T17:16:00.001+01:00

A THREE-STOREY fun house, a laser room and a mirror maze are among the thrilling attractions that will be found on Weston's multi-million pound Grand Pier.

The revamped state-of-the-art pavilion will feature some of the most technologically-advanced rides in the world, it has been revealed this week.

Please go to the Weston Mercury to read the rest of the article.

The Grand Pier Commends School Project

2009-05-07T15:27:00.004+01:00

The owners of the Grand Pier at Weston have praised the efforts of a pupil of Clifton College, who has completed a study on how businesses in the town were affected by the pier fire last year as part of a school project.

It was feared that the Grand Pier fire last July would impact on businesses in the area if tourists stayed away because the pier pavilion had been destroyed.

Alexis Birakos, a year 8 pupil at Clifton College, decided to look at the issue as part of a Georgraphy project asking the question: ‘Has The Loss Of The Grand Pier Adversely Affected Business In Weston-Super-Mare’.

His comprehensive report has now been sent to the owners of the pier, Michelle and Kerry Michael, who say it is a useful piece of research that will benefit the town.

Alexis said: “I carried out a questionnaire and was very surprised because 56% said that their business stayed the same since the pier burnt down and I thought that the majority of business would have been adversely affected especially as 84% of businesses thought that the pier played a really important role in attracting tourists to Weston.”

The report suggests that drops in business could also have been attributed to other factors such as the current recession. Alexis also surveyed members of the public at Bristol Zoo. He found that the majority of people had not been to Weston-super-Mare since the fire but were quite positive about going back when the pier is re-built.

Michelle Michael said: “Alexis’ project is very impressive as he appears to have left no stone un-turned in his research. The findings make for some interesting reading for us and we are aware of how important the pier is to local businesses, which is why we have been so keen to get it rebuilt as quickly as possible.

“In some ways the damaged pier became an attraction in itself last year as many people came to Weston-super-Mare to look at it and the full effects of the fire on local tourism will not be known until the end of this season.”

The information in the project will be used by the Grand Pier as part of its planning for the future.

Alexis’ Geography teacher, Roger Mills, said Alexis had clearly worked hard and produced a very interesting geography investigation.

He said: “We try and encourage all year 8 children to choose something local and interesting to them. This is part of their coursework and this will count for 20% of their overall mark. I am delighted that Alexis`s work will help in promoting the opening of the new structure.”

Pictured: Fiona Hooper (Grand Pier) and Alexis Birakos (Clifton College)

The Barge has Arrived!

2009-04-21T17:02:00.003+01:00

The latest news about the Pier is the start of the rebuild. A barge has been parked next to the Pier to hold the equipment and a large crane for the building work. Both the Weston Mercury and the Bristol Evening Post have given us excellent coverage of the barge’s arrival. Please see their news stories:

Weston Mercury
Bristol Evening Post

We have taken several pictures of the barge arriving at the Pier and they are posted in the ‘month one’ album on our facebook page.

The Mercury also have a video of its arrival, please click here to watch.

The re-build has begun!

2009-04-10T09:11:00.002+01:00

Work to rebuild Weston’s Grand Pier following last year’s devastating fire is set to begin.

A contractor has been appointed to carry out piling that will help support the new pavilion.

The piling, which will be carried out by Commercial Marine & Piling Ltd (CMP) from Hampshire, will mean around 70 new piles being strategically placed to ensure the pier can support the new pavilion. Scheduled to last up to 15 weeks, the piles will be driven approximately 30 metres into the bedrock.

CMP will use a jack-up barge to drive the piles into the sea bed. The Jack-up barge provides a stable platform from which marine works can be carried out. When jacked up onto the legs the barge provides a platform which can be raised and lowered above the sea level, a feature that is ideal where tidal rise and fall would otherwise cause problems.

The plan is for the main contractor to be appointed for the new pavilion in June/July 2009.

Kerry Michael, owner of the pier said: “The beginning of the piling work is great news and is the beginning of the reconstruction of the pier following the fire. We’re keen to get the work under way and means we are on schedule to reopen for the summer of 2010.

“We aim to keep disruption to local people and businesses to a minimum during this work and we can now look forward with heightened anticipation as the new Grand Pier starts to take shape.”

Sixty per cent larger than its predecessor, the new pavilion will include a selection of state-of-the-art attractions such as an 85-metre high panoramic tower that will rise up revolve 360 degrees, a roof-height twin-chute helter-skelter in the North West tower, traditional Edwardian tea room that will double as a wedding venue for up to 125 guests and additional conference venue which can cater for up to 250 guests.

“We still have a very long way to go but we are determined to achieve our goals and provide the town with a world class facility in time for the summer season 2010,” said Kerry.

Preview Buffet Bar

2009-04-07T11:28:00.003+01:00

While we wait patiently for more Pier news & pictures, we bring you an update from our restaurant at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol.

The restaurant has recently been revamped as Preview Buffet Bar, providing an all inclusive choice of everyone’s favourite meals at a single fixed price. The restaurant provides everything from soups, salad, pasta, grills, Oriental wok dishes, burgers and traditional English roasts from as little as £5.95 per person. Prices vary depending on when you visit and are £5.95 for as much as you can eat on Monday to Friday 11.30am – 5.30pm; £7.95 on Sunday to Thursday evenings, and £9.95 on Friday from 5.30 pm, all day Saturday and Sunday until 5.30 pm and on Bank Holidays. Children under 10 years old eat for £4.95. The menus vary with extra dishes to choose from in the evenings at weekends with a larger carvery selection on Sundays for those who want traditional roasts.

Since the restaurant is located at The Venue, alongside Hollywood Bowl and Vue Cinema, Preview Buffet Bar manager Dean Hawden says he believes the new concept will be hugely popular with visitors to The Venue – especially those grabbing a bite before taking in a movie or going bowling.

Dean said: “We are the perfect solution to the problem of everyone in a party fancying something different to eat. We have all been in the situation where someone wants a Chinese meal, but someone else wants pizza, another wants a roast and someone else is on a diet and just wants a salad.

“But now everyone can go to the same restaurant and just help themselves to their favourite dish from the buffet at an all inclusive price while our chefs keep preparing fresh food in the background. We have a pizza oven turning out fresh pizzas, wok dishes freshly prepared and children will enjoy building their own ice cream dessert from the ice cream machine.”

Another major plus of the Preview Buffet Bar pre-pay and self serve system is that there is no waiting for meals to be delivered to the table, or for the bill to arrive at the end.

Dean Hawden also says: “We recognise that our customers are out for a night at the cinema, or going bowling or popping in on a shopping trip and they want quick service There is no anxiety waiting for someone to take your order or bring your meal and no waving at people to get the bill or make a payment when you want to leave to catch the movie. Because you pay on arrival and the food is ready you can be as fast as you like or linger longer over a drink.”

Photo shows Preview staff members.

Preview Buffet Bar, The Venue, Merlin Road,
Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, BS10 7SR

T: 0117 959 8282 E: info@previewbarandgrill.co.uk

Photos before rebuild starts!

2009-03-30T12:30:00.012+01:00

Work to the existing structure will begin soon once we have confirmed details with the contractors. The rebuild will begin with several new piles being screwed into the ground, ready to support the weight of the new Pavilion and deck which will be built later this year.

See the pictures below for a look at how the Pier looks today; hopefully we will be seeing big changes soon!

Please click the pictures to see bigger versions.

Alphabeat @ the Grand Pier

2009-03-27T16:50:00.005Z

Today's update is a look back to 2008 when Channel Four television visited Weston-super-Mare to host the annual pop music concert, T4 on the Beach.

During the run up to the concert, the Grand Pier was visited by Danish pop band, Alphabeat. The T4 concert took place one week before the fire and the Go-Karts & Climbing wall had only been open for a few days when the band visited.

Channel Four Television and the Done & Dusted Group have very kindly given us permission to upload the footage from Alphabeat's visit to the Grand Pier on our YouTube Channel. The clip was previously featured in a short program called Postcards from T4 and was broadcast on Channel Four, Summer 2008.

Tickets for T4 2009 are on sale Friday 3rd April, and further information about the concert/party on the beach can be found here.

Worle School Visit

2009-03-25T13:24:00.003Z

Pupils studying Design & Technology from Worle Community School re-visited the Grand Pier to see for themselves how work is progressing to replace the iconic attraction.

Having visited back in October 2008, the 40 pupils are using the rebuilding of the Pier as a way to learn and understand how design and technology shapes their everyday lives.

Guided by Mike Joannou - Grand Pier Security Manager, the pupils were given an update on the work and what the next phases in the re-building of the pier will be including the piling which will help support the new pavilion.

Design and Technology teacher Peter Williams said: “It’s great for the pupils to see at first hand how, what they learn in the classroom is being applied to such an iconic structure as this and we would like to thank Mike for showing us around.

“There is a lot going on in Weston at the moment and the fact that it is going on right on our doorstep makes it very real for the pupils.”

Mike added: “It’s a great way for the pupils to learn the practicalities of design and technology and how they are being applied to a live project. I hope they’re able to take inspiration from what is going on here and look forward to seeing them again in the future for a further update.”

Pictured: Worle Community School pupils, Mike Joannou (Grand Pier) & Peter Williams (Worle School).

YouTube Channel

2009-03-24T16:04:00.003Z

We have now set up our own youtube channel, which we plan to keep updated with the new happenings about the Pier, plus some insights into the history of the Pier.

So far we have been adding the Pier fans videos as our favourites so if you wish to add us as a friend, we will add you as a friend back. Also, if you have any videos you think we will like, please message us or post it as a comment to the blog or on the official facebook fanpage (link to your left in the links menu!)

We have also added the computerised walk through plan of the new Pier to the channel, previously seen on BBC news.

Happy viewing!

Buttons and the Grand Pier Fire

2009-03-20T14:13:00.005Z

As some of you may know, one of the members of staff at the Grand Pier is an 8ft tall clown! Buttons decided to have a party on the night of the fire and was so full up with sweets, he slept in the sweet shop that night. He woke up to the sounds of the fire engines and decided to enlist the help of the Pier owners to tell his story about the fire.

The Grand Pier teamed up with Weston College to host a competition to a group of illustration students to bring Buttons' story to life in a brand new children's book.

Michelle Michael, co-owner at the pier said: “The idea came about because many children were worried about Buttons after the fire. As a result we wanted to let everyone know he is safe and well by producing a book telling his story.”

Nina Sully was the lucky student who has won the competition to provide all the illustrations for the book, written by Hayley Carlin. Nina, who lives in Weston-super-Mare, is currently studying on the National Diploma Foundation Studies Art & Design course and will now finalise her work for the book which will be published later in the year. Nina, who was born in Weston, was a biology teacher until she retired last August. A keen artist, she enrolled on the course to extend her skills and the opportunity to produce the illustrations for the book was one she just couldn’t miss.

Nina said: “Coming from Weston the chance to work on a children’s book about the pier was something I just had to do. To win is a real thrill and I’m working hard to make sure my initial illustrations are ready for the book to be printed. To think that my illustrations will be enjoyed by children for years to come is a real honour and I can’t wait to see the first printed copies.”

Jonathan Swindall, lecturer at Weston College added: “This was a great project for the students to work on. As a live project they had to work to a real deadline which acted as a great motivator. To get something published is also a great opportunity at this level and is fantastic for each student’s development.”

Pictured: Nina Sully (Weston College), Hayley Carlin (Grand Pier) & Buttons the Clown (Grand Pier)

Interview with Pier owner

2009-03-19T16:12:00.007Z

Our friends at the Weston Mercury have posted an interview with Grand Pier co-owner, Michelle Michael, following the rebuilding plans being given the thumbs up!

To see the video, click here. For news that accompanies the video, see below.

Work on Weston's new £34million Grand Pier could start by the end of the month.

With rebuilding plans given the green light last night (Thus), the first contractors are expected to be signed up today (Fri) and work will start within weeks.

Pier co-owner Kerry Michael said: "We have worked very closely with North Somerset planners and between us we have given due consideration to all aspects of the application and ironed out any potential problems."

A second contractor could be signed up within 10 weeks and the pier could be open for business by next summer.

The most expensive item on the landmark structure is likely to be an observation tower at the rear, which is coming in at a cost of around £2million.

The proposals for the new attraction include a bar around three times bigger than the previous one, a Victorian tea room and a central canopy that would run the whole length of the pier, with sides that could close in bad weather.

This week, Mr Michael described how much enthusiasm has been shown for a wedding venue which would be incorporated in the new-look pavilion, with dozens phoning him up hoping to be the first to tie the knot on the new attraction.

But the Weston businessman says he will not book any ceremonies for the new glazed area until he has confirmed a re-opening date for the pier.

News from the Weston Mercury.

Hello & Welcome

2009-03-19T12:32:00.007Z

Welcome to the official blog for the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare. Here you will have access to all of the latest news and plans for the new Pier, due to open Summer 2010.

Today, as our first post, we bring you news direct from the Weston Mercury as planning applications were approved just one week ago.

'EXCITING' £34million plans to rebuild Weston's fire-ravaged Grand Pier pavilion have been approved this evening.

Pier owners Kerry and Michelle Michael are celebrating after securing planning permission for a scheme dubbed 'a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' by members of North Somerset Council's west area committee.

The group voted unanimously to allow the ambitious plan to proceed, meaning Weston could be home to a state-of-the-art pier - boasting observation tower, go-kart track and 4D cinema - by summer 2010.

The news will come as a boost to Weston's beleaguered tourism industry, which has suffered since losing the pier in July.

Cllr Andrew Horler said: "As mayor of Weston, I have received a lot of good wishes and hopes for this application.

"It has amazed me, over the course of the year, how many people - on a global scale - have shown an interest in the prospects for this site.

"What we have here is the chance to build a massive, multi-faceted, multi-use attraction, not only for tourists, but for the people of Weston.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime application, and the success of it is fundamental to the rebirth of Weston-super-Mare."

Michelle Michael was at the meeting to see councillors take little over 30 minutes to offer their backing to the proposal, and outlined her hopes for the future now permission has been secured.

She said: "We are delighted to have secured planning permission, and we are now keen to get on with the job of rebuilding as soon as practically possible.

"Our design team has been working flat-out for many months to being this project together, and came up with a concept which was everyone's overwhelming favourite.

"Getting planning permission is great, but it is just another step along the way.

"We want to make the Grand Pier in Weston the best pier in the world and we will continue the search that has been going on worldwide for the last few months to source rides and attractions.

"We believe that Weston can become more prosperous and be Britain's most sought-after seaside destination with a world class pier at its heart.

Thanks to the Mercury for this news article.