The Weston and Somerset Mercury has scooped an exclusive chance to broadcast the town’s iconic Grand Pier being completely rebuilt – as it happens.

Last month the town was left shell-shocked after Weston-super-Mare’s pier was destroyed by a huge fire.

Today the Mercury is due to launch its first webcam, sited on the part of the pier unaffected by the blaze.

It focuses on the sea end where the charred remains of the pavilion are currently being visited by thousands of people.

Editor Judi Kisiel said: “Visitors to the Mercury website will be able to watch as the burnt iron and wood are removed and a new building starts to form.

“The webcam will make it possible to pan across the view and zoom in to watch the work more closely.

“By storing up the images it will also be possible to do regular time elapsed clips of ‘a month in a minute’.”

The live webcam footage will be hosted by the Mercury and shared with the Grand Pier website.

Mercury website visitors can also learn about the latest construction news and look back at the extensive fire coverage, including videos, timelines and around 400 readers’ photos.

Visitors will also be told about all the events still going on at the Grand Pier and along the seafront to support the town’s tourism trade.

The story was one of the biggest to have taken place in Weston for years with the Mercury’s website receiving thousands of visitors from across the world.

Despite an increased print run, all copies in town centre shops were sold out within the first 24 hours so stockers had to scour out-of-town retailers for extra papers.

The Archant South West title has also produced a 24-page Grand Pier Fire special edition which is being sold exclusively on the re-opened shore end of the pier and in the Mercury office.

Comments

Argus (21/08/2008 16:11:58)
Riveting stuff, eh!