Structural engineers have been called in to assess the problem and their report is awaited, but owner Kerry Michael fears the ....]]> 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 (17^th 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”.

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 ....]]>

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 3^rd 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

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 ....]]> 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 25^th 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”.

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 ....]]> 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.

Horatio was painted by local artist Renee Kilburn and he was sponsored by local businessman Nelson Penfold.

The donkey will stay at the Museum until ....]]> One of Weston-super-Mare’s decorated donkeys will be raffled off for the RNLI later this year. Horatio, one of the 40 donkeys, has set up home in the town’s museum in Burlington Street.

Horatio was painted by local artist Renee Kilburn and he was sponsored by local businessman Nelson Penfold.

The donkey will stay at the Museum until September when he will be raffled off for the RNLI. Tickets will be available shortly from the Winter Gardens, the Tourist Information Centre, the Museum and the RNLI Shop and Heritage Centre at Anchor Head.

RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer for Weston said:”The RNLI is delighted to be involved with the donkey project. We welcome the work which has been done on rebuilding the Pier as a focus for the people of Weston-super-Mare. We have always had great support from the Grand Pier and the money raised from the raffle will help the work of our volunteers in saving lives at sea”.

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 ....]]> 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.

The narrow-entrance access work platform, or Spider as it is known in the trade, can fit through very narrow spaces ....]]> 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 21^st 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”.

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 ....]]> 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”.

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 ....]]> 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”.