I'm wondering if anybody else, like me, is a fan of that quirky british tradition of seaside piers?
Yesterday I visited Weston Super Mare Pier, which was rebuilt last year after a fire. It certainly looks tremendous, and looks traditional, but what a disappointment.
As usual, I checked I had some cash for the penny machines then equipped myself with a take-away from the chippie across the road, and set out for my stroll to the end of the pier, fish & chips in hand. I was immediately intercepted by a youth in a 'security' uniform, advising me that I can't take my own food onto the pier. Not even picnics, it appears, are permitted, although there are no signs to warn you of an own-food ban until you are already on the pier.
The walk to the end of the pier comprises a central corridor, and open walkways either side, fairly traditional so far... except the central corridor was filled with an awful racket of disco music, not very traditional at all in my book. But it was a nice day so I walked outside, where I had to keep jumping aside as a bored-looking youth paraded up and down in the 'courtesy truck' blasting it's (extremely loud) horn frequently to shift people out of the way.
At the end of the pier lies the amusement arcade, which turned out to be just another deafening cacophony of disco beat, interspersed with an ear-splittingly amplified commentary from the announcer as various performers did their acts. The current performer was juggling fire, or eating it or something. It might've been entertaining, but I felt unable to stay and watch lest I suffered lasting ear-damage.
I daresay some may like it, and maybe I just visited on a bad day. But I wish now I'd visited while the pier was derelict, I'd have come away with fonder memories. Such is progress, I suppose.
