Ten amazing sand sculptures

Here are ten of my favourite sculptures from this year’s Sand Sculptures at Weston-super-Mare. This year’s theme was “when I grow up…” and there was a range of sculptures that were inspired by this theme. Click the image for larger versions.

So who wanted to be a firefighter when they grew up? So there are the fires, the hoses and the water.

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If I found these surgeons looking over me, just about to go under a general anaesthetic, I would be feeling rather scared. These are rather freaky.

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Now who wants to go to the moon? Astronauts are often a childhood dream. This sculpture was really tall and I was impressed with the height of the thing, and the nice details, like the chimpanzee looking out of the window of the rocket.

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A rather depressed farmer looks after his crops and a sullen cow. Maybe its’ the sand, but he does look sad. The sculpture was rather flat, and it was quite effective.

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No this wasn’t about someone growing up to be a Pharaoh or even an Egyptian god, no this was about growing up to be an archaeologist, you can see the little figures in the sand.

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I think this was a vet, or someone wanting to be a mad scientist growing over sized dogs.

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Lots of young people want to be professional footballers.

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Tut, tut, construction worker stereotype!

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This was just plain freaky! No idea what it was supposed to represent.

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Yes, we can all grow up to be superman! To infinity and beyond… oh wait!

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I am always impressed with the quality and the ideas of the sculptures.

Better than a bear wall

I did quite like this Bankey’esque street art on the side of the wall of the Bare Grills restaurent in Weston-super-Mare.

Better than a bear wall

Though the claws on the bear prints are a bit worrying!

So it is Banksy!

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Well, well, well, after much speculation about the so called filming for a feature film in the Tropicana in Weston-super-Mare, it was announced today that it is a modern art exhibition by Banksy and many other modern artists.

Dismal Land – a festival of art, amusements and entry-level anarchism.

Are you looking for an alternative to the sugar-coated tedium of the average family day out? Or just somewhere a lot cheaper?
Then this is the place for you. Bring the whole family to come and enjoy the latest addition to our chronic leisure surplus…

“I loved the Tropicana as a kid, so getting to throw these doors open again is a real honour,” said Banksy.

It will be on view for five weeks (or is it six) with tickets at £3 each limited to 4000 a day. If this is going to be anything like the Banksy show at the Bristol Museum, this will sell out very quickly and will be very popular.

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Having passed it a few times over the last week I did wonder what was going on. The construction crew behind it all were all staying in caravans close to the railway station. There was talk it was a film crew, but once the tanker truck could be seen along with the disney’esque castle it seemed to be less a film, more likely something else. I did think it might be a crystal maze type TV show, but the more you thought about it, the more likely this was something else. Once the Banksy rumours started earlier this week, then it was pretty obvious it was going to be Banksy.

Looking forward to going and having a look, and as a local I might try and get in for free tomorrow.

Tranquil Knightstone Island

 Knightstone Island

Marine Lake isn ot quite still enough for a perfect reflection, but still enough to reflect.

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The tide was in, which always seems like a rare occurrence in Weston super Mare, even if it does happen twice a day. This is mainly due to the how far the sea goes out at low tide.

 Knightstone Island

15 Classic Cars in Weston-super-Mare

So let’s be frank about this, I really don’t know that much about classic cars, however I have recently thought it would be nice to own an old classic motor.

These photographs were taken at a recent classic car event in Weston-super-Mare, I can guess what some of them are, but please add a comment if you are more confident than me in what they are.

1. 1931 Austin Seven Swallow

2. An American car of some kind… 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air – 938 XUP

3. Who knows, but nice wheels! Chevrolet  – SV 6473

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4. 1950s car, Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire – 172 CEV

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5. A blue car…

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6. Another classic, 1920s or 1930s?

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7. A Rolls Royce from the 1970s…

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8. Hmmm, 1949 Riley 1.5 Litre – KXN 114

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9. Okay, so I know the sun glare doesn’t help… Riley  – RDV 566

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10. This one I am pretty confident is a Morris Minor 1000 Traveller.

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11. Bodie and Doyle would like this Ford Capri

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12. Another American car, calling Dick Tracey, calling Dick Tracey…

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13. A wedding car…

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14. Willys Jeep

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15. Custom BMW Mini.

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So can you help me out, please add a comment if you know what some of these cars are.

Ten Incredible Sand Sculptures

Over the last few years, artists from around the world have created amazing sand sculptures on the beach at Weston-super-Mare. Here are ten incredible sculptures.


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There are Christmas Markets and then there are Christmas Markets…

Christmas Market in Bristol

There are Christmas markets and then there are Christmas markets.

Over the last few years I have enjoyed browsing the Christmas market in Birmingham, disappointed I had missed the one in Bath by one day last Christmas.

If you want to be disappointed, then I suggest you visit the Christmas market in Weston-super-Mare.

Don’t expect to see lots of wooden huts selling handmade wooden toys. Nope. Nor are there stalls selling all manger of German delicacies.

There were three stalls.

A hook a duck fairground stall, where instead of ducks, you could hook a santa!

A wooden hut selling German style sausages as well as bacon butties.

A giant inflatable snow globe that you could have your picture taken in.

That was it!

Missed opportunity really, even if there wasn’t German stalls, I wonder if there were local craftspeople and farmers who would be interested in running stalls over the festive period?

“the cafe on tv at weston super mare is it real”

Noticed in the blog stats one of the search terms used that resulted in someone finding my blog was

the cafe on tv at weston super mare is it real

I suspect my recent blog post on the filming of The Café was the reason Google directed them to my blog.

There is no real Cyril’s, it’s a fabrication, just a set, but they do film in Weston-super-Mare.

The Café

The café building itself is just a set, it’s not a real café dressed at Cyril’s but a set built for filming and when done, it’s broken down and taken away until the next season (if one is commissioned) is filmed.

The Café, Series 1 – The Café

The Café, Series 2 – The Café

The Café

The Café, Series 1 – The Café

The Café, Series 2 – The Café

This evening they were filming down on Weston-super-Mare seafront for the Sky series, The Café.

The Café

This is a comedy that is shown on Sky.

Filming in Weston-super-Mare

Funny, touching and a little bit romantic, too, The Café is a brilliant new comedy from director Craig Cash, and co-writers and stars Ralf Little and Michelle Terry. The Café is a sweet sitcom based in Cyril’s in Weston-super-mare. Run by three generations of women, gran Mary, divorcee Carol and daughter Sarah (played by Michelle Terry who co-wrote The Café with Ralf Little), Cyril’s sees all sorts on the seaside front, from gobby hairdressers to living statue Kieran. Meanwhile Sarah meets up with old sweetheart, Richard (Ralf) who has hopes of re-kindling their romance.

The Café

Of course there is no real Cyril’s, it’s a fabrication, just a set, but they do film in Weston-super-Mare.

Filming in Weston-super-Mare

Weston-super-Mare

Apart from the awful rain coming down, which I guess they weren’t expecting, if they planned to film in July, what they did have was a high tide…

The sea

You could actually see the sea in Weston-super-Mare (aka by the sea).

Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare

Normally, because of the extremely high tidal range, you rarely see the sea all the way up the beach. The pier is usually never “in” the water and all you can see is sand and mud.