Birnbeck Regeneration Trust

(panoramic - click to enlarge)

Last Friday, I had a lovely day out by the seaside visiting Birnbeck Regeneration Trust. They're an incredibly dedicated group of individuals fighting to save a very unusual pier at Weston-super-Mare, in Somerset. It stretches from the mainland to a natural island, and has a second walkway leading off it. Early estimates reckon it'll cost about twenty million to renovate completely, and there's potential for a museum and café on site. As with Ihezie Foundation, I'm hoping I can get involved in some capacity. 

The pier is now so dilapidated that it's unsafe to walk upon. The only way to reach it is to wait for low tide, when you can set out across the sand for two hours, before the sea reclaims it.

It was absolutely breathtaking to be by the ocean again. Living in a landlocked country, you forget your island-dwelling roots sometimes. Although Lake Kivu is practically an inland sea, you don't get the same tidal ebb and flow, or the scent of salt on the breeze. I cast my eye upon the waves, searching for the children of Lir.

If you'd like to buy a little piece of history, check out Birnbeck's fundraising page. You can purchase pieces of the original planks, or slate from the roofing on the island.