Thursday 13 - Weston

Thirteen Things about Weston-super-Mare 1. The name Weston is made up of two Old English or Saxon words meaning the west tun or settlement. Because there are several places called Weston in Somerset descriptions were added to tell them apart. What is unusual about Weston-super-Mare is that the descriptive part of its name has remained in medieval Latin. Super (with small s) means on or above, and mare is Latin for sea 2. By 1600 Weston had its own manor. The estate was sold off in 1914. The title "Lord of the Manor" was sold in the 1970s and there is nothing left of the estate 3. The first hotel was opened in 1810 4. Weston's first guide book for visitors was written in 1822. The population was then 735 5. Weston's population is currently just over 70,000 6. Famous modern alumni include John Cleese (yay), Geoffrey Archer (boo), Rupert Graves (looking forward to V for Vendetta), Jill Dando (I was there when groundforce did the garden you know), and Ritchie Blackmore (from Deep Purple). 7. We also claim Bob Hope and Roald Dahl, although neither were born here:-) They both spent a few childhood years in the town then scarpered as soon as possible! 8. Bill Byson wrote 9 pages (in my copy) about WsM in Notes From A Small Island, mostly complaining that it was wet & boring, but concluding that the people are loverly:-) 9. Famous historical alumni include Arthur Stanly Eddington (Astrophysicist), and Albert Victor Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Hillsborough (just across the road from me, otherwise I'd never have known!) 10. Weston is the administrative head quarters of North Somerset, a county that isn't a county (being part of Somerset). 11. We have two theatres, a cinema, two piers, a golf course, a mini railway, a helicopter museum, a Lambretta Museum (and a normal museum), a FE college and hundreds of places to stay, drink & gamble. It's still as dull as **** 12. It is often referred to by those who know it well as Weston-super-Mud, due to it's incredably dangerous mud flats that stretch as far as the eye can see most of the time. This ensures the sea is a fantastic brown colour on the odd occasions it does come visiting, although the wide expanse of open beach is also great for kiting, sand castle building, Motorbike scrambling & beach pop concerts. 13. I love living here. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!) thursday thirteen Dariana Mar WendyWings Norma Better Safe Than Sorry






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