2023 has been designated the 'Year of the Pier', and in our final podcast of the season, we are celebrating Weston's piers. Of the 60 piers left in the UK, four can be found on North Somerset's 19-mile coastline, and three of them are in Weston!

We chat to pier experts Michelle Michael, one of the owners/directors of The Grand Pier and Revo, and Simon Talbot-Ponsonby, Director of  Birnbeck Regeneration Trust, about the history and future of Weston's three very different, iconic piers.

They discuss:

- The evolution of entertainment at The Grand Pier, from its Victorian beginnings to the present day
-  Michelle's family's aspirations for The Grand Pier and Weston
- The importance The Grand Pier places on hiring and training young people in Weston-super-Mare
- Large-scale events: The Grand Pier can seat up to 1,000 people, making it the biggest venue in the town
- The charity work Michelle, her team and The Grand Pier are involved with - at their recent charitable ball, they raised a staggering £410,000
- Celebrity visitor anecdotes from The Grand Pier
- Upcoming events, recent developments (including new feature lighting) and future investment happening at The Grand Pier.

- The history of Birnbeck Pier from its days as an enormous funfair to being commandeered as a secret weapons research establishment.
- How the implementation of modern transport lead to its demise.
- Birnbeck Pier's importance for the RNLI
- North Somerset Council's recent ownership of Birnbeck Pier after years of uncertainty.
- Funding,  grants and future plans for the restoration of the pier.
-Michelle and Simon's favourite places to eat out, shop and go in Weston-super-Mare.

You can also read a transcript of the podcast here.

To comment on today's conversation head over to Instagram or LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode, we would so appreciate it if you could rate, review and subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify - it helps us to share the amazing stories of the people of Weston-super-Mare.

Huge things are happening in Weston-super-Mare, the creative, historic seaside town on the Somerset coast in the South West of England.

Find out more on our website Super Weston

Huge thanks to our host Becky Walsh and our voiceover artist Matt Hardy

This week, we talk to Simon Price, a partner at Alder King, and Jane Harrison, Head of Economy at North Somerset Council, about the increasing appeal of Weston-super-Mare as a place to locate a business, and for developer investment.

During the episode they discuss:

• Trends for business growth and interest in Weston, including industrial sector growth, particularly in advanced manufacturing. 
• How KMW and Rockhaven are collectively developing sites of over 130,000 sq. feet, speculating on positive market demand. 
• The attractiveness of locating a business in Weston, thanks to staff availability, good transport connections, culture-led regeneration and government investment, alongside ease of access to local government support, advice and business networks. 
• The great value for money of commercial property in Weston, where average top-end rents are £18 - £20 per sq. metre, whereas just 20 miles away in Bristol, they are £42 - £50 per sq. metre.  
• The importance of the Weston Enterprise Area and the handholding and support for any business moving into the area.  
• The many environmental and community groups in the town focused on areas like trees, plastics reduction, and sustainability that businesses may want to partner with for ESG goals.
• Investment in the High Street, the increase in independent businesses coming into the town centre and why large empty units like TJ Hughes remains empty. 

They also share with us some interesting facts about Weston, and their favourite places to go, eat and drink.

To comment on today's conversation head over to Instagram or LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode, we would so appreciate it if you could rate, review and subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify - it helps us to share the amazing stories of the people of Weston-super-Mare.

Huge things are happening in Weston-super-Mare, the creative, historic seaside town on the Somerset coast in the South West of England.

Find out more on our website Super Weston

Huge thanks to our host Becky Walsh and our voiceover artist Matt Hardy

This week, host Becky Walsh chats with guests Fay Powell and Alan Smith, to discover what Weston has to offer this Christmas.

Alan Smith, Manager of The Sovereign, shares what the shopping centre has been up to over the past year, and their grand festive plans for December, including late night shopping and a Christmas light switch-on (30th November 2023).

Fay Powell,  Central Services Manager of Weston Town Council, shares the Christmas activities she has planned with her family including pantomimes, markets, workshops, and festive activities, and reveals her favourite local shops. 

Fay also talks about:

• Weston's grand Christmas lights switch-on  (2nd December 2023), funded by the town council and Weston BID, which will see the mayor, competition winners and celebrities from the Blakehay pantomime illuminating the town!
• eat: Food Festival, taking place in Winter Gardens and Italian Gardens on Small Business Saturday (2nd December). 
• Weston Museum's extended Christmas Market weekend (2nd-3rd December)

For more information about what’s on this Christmas in Weston head to the Visit Weston website.

To comment on today's conversation head over to Instagram or LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode, we would so appreciate it if you could rate, review and subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify - it helps us to share the amazing stories of the people of Weston-super-Mare.

Huge things are happening in Weston-super-Mare, the creative, historic seaside town on the Somerset coast in the South West of England.

Find out more on our website Super Weston

Huge thanks to our host Becky Walsh and our voiceover artist Matt Hardy