Peter Archer

1 week ago | thewestonmercury.co.uk | Peter Archer

"The increase in shoplifting is partly a consequence of the current cost-of-living crisis. But, of course, most people suffering financial hardship do not turn to crime" (Image: Contributed) I couldn’t believe my eyes; it was so brazen, writes Peter Archer. No fear of being caught; no consequences. The well-dressed young woman walked into a mini-market, picked up a large pack of lager and left with it under her arm.

2 weeks ago | thewestonmercury.co.uk | Peter Archer

"Surely, such a marketing opportunity would not have been overlooked for so long in a seaside town with greater ambition" (Image: Contributed) Now Birnbeck Pier is being renovated, there’s a rock’n’roll opportunity which so far seems to have missed a beat, writes Peter Archer. The nearby rocky outcrop at Anchor Head Cove, which was the backdrop for a 1963 Beatles photoshoot, surprisingly never became a major tourist attraction linked to the Fab Four.

3 weeks ago | thewestonmercury.co.uk | Peter Archer

"The fact is the people of Weston and North Somerset who welcome law-abiding refugees and asylum seekers forced from their homes deserve high praise" (Image: Contributed) Walking in parts of the town, you’re more than likely to hear different languages and unfamiliar accents, writes Peter Archer. War in Ukraine and violent upheaval elsewhere in the world have shifted the tectonic plates of geopolitics, and shockwaves can be felt throughout the UK.

1 month ago | thewestonmercury.co.uk | Peter Archer

"No wonder more and more people are coming to Weston-super-Mare where quality housing stock is on offer" (Image: Contributed) Through-the-roof house prices in cities like Bristol are forcing people out, writes Peter Archer. Million-pound-plus properties in previously affordable areas are no longer uncommon. For any number of reasons, but usually economic, house-hunters are moving on and despairing at how little their money can buy.

1 month ago | thewestonmercury.co.uk | Peter Archer

"True, it may be hard to appreciate on a cold day when the tide is a mile out. But climate change and extreme weather events are as real as the economic and social inequality which threatens to divide our town" (Image: Contributed) Filming on Weston-super-Mare’s seafront of a dystopian TV drama is a wake-up call, writes Peter Archer. It’s a chilling reminder of the threat posed by soaring temperatures, rising sea levels, and a menacing social and political climate.