Peter Archer

Bristol

Associate Editor at Raconteur

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thewestonmercury.co.uk

Articles

Making Waves column: I love Weston but it feels spoilt by a loud minority

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

"It’s the reason I don’t like coming into town," she said. "I’ve lived in Weston all my life and it could be such a lovely place, but it’s spoilt by people like him." Foul language from an angry, bare-chested, middle-aged man had destroyed the atmosphere on what was otherwise a pleasant afternoon in the sunshine. He looked menacing, sat drinking on a bench in the centre of town and yelling at people nearby who had objected to his bad behaviour.
Making Waves Column: High Street progress slow but sure

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

Weston-super-Mareâ€™s main shopping area is meant to be a central focus of the town, a place to meet friends, relax in cafĂ©s and, oh yes, shop. Yet it lacks definition and direction, unless you accept the frequent slurs on social media which define the High Street as a depressed and uninviting place with no future. The surge of online shopping, which was boosted by the COVID pandemic and lockdowns, sounded the death knell for traditional retail.
Making Waves column: Something needs to be done about poor housing in Weston

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

Poor-quality rented housing scars parts of Weston-super-Mare and afflicts the unfortunate people consigned to tatty flats and bedsits. They deserve a better place to live. Conditions are a catalogue of neglect and decay which can result in tenants giving up and contributing to perpetual squalor. Crumbling buildings, leaking roofs, damp and mould, inadequate heating and cramped spaces are accompanied by rubbish strewn across outside areas. No one seems to care.
Making Waves: 'We need to change the odds on seaside gambling'

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

Like many coastal towns, Weston-super-Mare has more runners in the race than most: eight at the last count. And it’s a safe bet the bookmakers don’t have punters’ wellbeing in mind. They certainly aren’t social enterprises redistributing wealth, unless you count the cash the bookies rake in when unlucky clients chase their losses. According to researchers, betting shops are concentrated in the most deprived areas of the UK, so there’s nothing to boast about.
Making Waves column: Weston deserves a better image - here's why

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

It’s as if they are blind to all the good things on offer: long sandy beach, expansive views, wonderful architecture; not to mention a burgeoning arts scene, varied places to eat and, above all, the welcoming people. But Weston-super-Mare continues to have an image problem. Have you heard the joke? "Weston is so bad, even the tide doesn’t want to come in!" It’s funny, but also not so funny.
Making Waves column: Weston and other seaside towns deserve better

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

"Resorts are often one-industry towns, relying on tourism, but as fewer holidaymakers are choosing long staycations in the UK, there has been no lasting government relief" (Image: Contributed) Now, more than ever, it’s time to throw seaside towns a lifeline, writes Peter Archer. For far too long they have been abandoned by policymakers.
Making Waves: Weston needs a radical rethink if we are to tackle town's problems

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

Peter Archer. (Image: Contributed) They’re in your face and on your mind, writes Peter Archer. No escaping. They are loud, antisocial, and threatening. Often they are drunk, high, or drugged up on their medication. A minority, they dominate as if in the majority. They can give Weston-super-Mare a bad name. When people think of Weston, their perception is distorted by the disaffected people who take over parts of the town.
Making Waves column: The benefits and challenges of seaside living

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

"Being at the seaside is like travelling back in time to find a place, which may now be struggling to be part of the modern world, but invokes past comfort and a feeling of security" (Image: Contributed) What’s so good about living by the sea?, writes Peter Archer People I talk to often recall nostalgic memories of summer days in childhood, playing on the beach and swimming in the shallows.
Making Waves: Weston is a shoplifting hotspot - but why?

2 months 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.
Making Waves: Let's make Wetson's Beatles Rock a tourist attraction

2 months 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.