Geoff writes: I took Judith to Bristol Airport this morning; she’s flying to Ager in Spain for the Women’s Paragliding Open, then to St Andre in France for the British Open. She is obviously devastated at being apart from me for two and a half weeks, but is consoling herself with the thought of lots of cheap alcohol, seeing old friends, hot sunny weather, and flying every day. Oh, and being chased by all the single male pilots who are flocking to Ager for the women’s comp.

After dropping her off, I decided a good substitute for Spain in summer was Weston-Super-Mare. I’ve driven past this UK holiday resort dozens of times in the last 30 years, but never been there, and I have a weakness for British seaside towns (I do like to be beside the seaside…).  It’s actually quite a nice place, though it felt a bit like visiting the seaside in winter, rather than mid-August.  It was very cloudy, no sun at all, with rain clouds in the distance.  Strong winds. A great beach, but empty apart from one group of people who, very optimistically, were about to set up their beach blankets and hire their deck chairs.

The pier there burnt down a couple of years ago, but is being refurbished – the posters said it was due to open in Summer 2010, so they need to get a move on.

The promenade was literally a building site – they are redoing it, partly to make it nicer, but also to improve the sea defences – apparently the town is often flooded. But the noise and the disruption must be driving the local businesses crazy.

Still, there are some great advantages to the place – apart from the brilliant beach. There is every tribute band in Britain playing there at some point, including Abba (of course), Dusty Springfield, Billy Fury and Zee Zee Top. Or maybe the last two are the originals?

It’s also got its own version of the London Eye (which itself is just a jumped-up big wheel) called, imaginatively enough, The Wheel of Weston.

Cheap too – a bacon sandwich and a coffee right on the sea front for only £2.50. And lots of public toilets (something Britain is still the best in the world at, for our foreign readers).

The first hotel was built there in 1810. When the town is finally finished, it’ll be a great place to visit.

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