Subject
to both natural and man-made dangers, of the ninety-one pleasure
piers that once decorated the British coastline, just fifty-five
remain. For over a century, the Grand Pier at Weston has stood as a
prominent symbol of this British seaside tradition. For over sixty
years, the Grand Pier was owned and run by successive generations of
one family, the Brenners. This book is also the story of how they
constantly updated and improved the pier, ensuring its popularity
with tourists continued into the twenty-first century. But the Grand
Pier has also seen its fair share of disaster. The pier rose from
the ashes of a devastating fire in 1930 to enjoy a period of great
success between the wars. A second fire destroyed the famous
pavilion in 2008, and whether the pier can return once again to its
former glory remains to be seen.
This book illustrates the history
of this outstanding example of seaside piers, with memories and
anecdotes from the people who owned it, worked on it or simply loved
it. |
