(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻Hallow ‘een at Birnbeck Pier
Hallow ‘een at Birnbeck Pierಥ_ಥ^_^:-D(*/ω＼*)
(¬‿¬)(❁´◡`❁)Hallow ‘een at Birnbeck Pier
ಥ_ಥ(❁´◡`❁)^_^Hallow ‘een at Birnbeck Pier
Hallow ‘een at Birnbeck Pier ༽つ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ
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(⌐■_■)( •_•)>⌐■-■Hallow ‘een at Birnbeck Pier
©GeraldineBanksOctober2024
When I visited Weston Super-mare , some years ago, the Birnbeck Regeneration Trust were trying to raise funds for preserving the old Birnbeck pier. It had been abandoned some years back and was becoming increasingly unsafe.
We visited close to Halloween and I’ve got to admit, to my vivid imagination it had all the qualities of a perfect Halloween story . The pier itself has a history going back to 1864 when the foundation stone of the Pier was laid.
In Victorian Times with increasing leisure for those able to afford holidays and for responsible employers realising that all work and no play reduces productivity , the demand for a promenade and also the facilities of the pier and the fresh sea air meant certain commercial success.
However, fashions change and the Pier fell into disuse and indeed needed to be saved and indeed it has, and it has reverted back to the RNLI, who I believe used to launch from Birnbeck Island(at the end of the Pier) and hopefully will play a role in protecting unfortunate people who fall foul of the surrounding sea.
In the meantime , leading up to Halloween, which is on the 31st October 2024, my short story to Celebrate Birnbeck Pier.
“Hallow’een at Birnbeck Pier
On a crisp cold October morning Ray walked along the promenade at Weston Supermare heading past the mostly “closed for winter” shops.
Ray, was cold and hungry,he had spent the night curled up in his sleeping bag in a bus shelter.He had a little money ,enough for a cup of tea and a bacon roll if he could find somewhere open
He kept walking it was nearly November and it was bitterly cold. He passed the Grand Pier and crossed the road and went onto the other side of the road.He walked by an old café he used to go into when he had the job as a delivery driver with Tesco. It was closed as the season had ended.
His thoughts drifted back to the times he used to go in after his shift or sometimes before he started his deliveries. Their tea was in mugs and their beautiful bacon and egg baps were sumptuous. Fresh rolls, crispy bacon and two eggs . It made his hunger pangs worse to think about it. His first epileptic fit had ended his driving career. His life had subsequently spiralled out of control.
With three pounds fifty in his pocket , he knew it would be a piece of bacon and a stale roll , with a weak cup of tea , if he could find somewhere open.
At last down a side street he found what he was looking for, he used up all his money, but at least he had a hot drink and something to eat. It was 7.30am and he would have the whole day to fill.
After eating his roll, he headed to the public toilets to have a wash and tidy himself up. As he walked by the shop windows he couldn’t help but notice all the Pumpkins and Witches Outfits in the windows and the selections of themed Halloween cakes and sweets.
” Commercial Rubbish” he thought to himself, though unfortunately the imagery stuck in his mind.
As usual he had arranged to meet some other homeless people on the far side of town, away from the prying eyes of the locals and police. Nobody liked to see them and in turn they liked to stay out of sight if they could. They would meet up down by the rocks and near the old Birnbeck Pier and share their limited resources to get through the day.
The old Pier was disused and in poor repair, it had been abandoned. Usually they gathered there from about eleven onwards , there was plenty of time to kill.
Perhaps ,it was the cold, or perhaps too much salt in the bacon, but as he was making his way from the town centre, crossing the road and walking towards a small lane that lead to a walkway in front of the seafront. Ray , felt a chill and began to feel dizzy. Luckily there were some rocks down a small gangway ,which he managed to clamber down ,this enabled him to sit quietly out of sight and gather himself.
He had frightened himself this time, when walking across the road he had seen a head in front of him, with brown holes for eyes and faint features ,it had more to it than a skull, not much more though; in fact; he could have swore it had white veins, almost as if they had been drained and plasticised, they zig-zagged and protruded across the skull.
He shivered, and he held his head in his hands, as he sat on the rock , which was just above sea-level. The sea was calm and he noticed that the sun was coming up and if he stayed where he was , the sun would reach him shortly and perhaps warm him and bring him to his senses. The vision was gone and now he had the beginnings of a headache. He sat there with his eyes closed and waited for the sun to work it’s way around to him.
Later on , as he headed towards Birnbeck Pier, he thought that what he had seen in the shops had been responsible for the terrible vision. All sorts of things triggered visions and headaches, and the bright oranges and blacks and the skull shapes had caused a reaction, overloaded his synapses. Thankfully it hadn’t lasted long and he was going to meet up with his friends, he needed to stay warm and they would give him some more warm clothes and sort out his money situation. Perhaps there would be more news on the shared flat.
When Ray hopped down onto the rocks, the tide had been out some time. He could just see a few of his homeless comrades gathered around a small fire they had made in a metal brazier. They were able to keep stuff under the pier out of site, it got covered by the sea when the tide came in , but it didn’t matter, the metal brazier was doing a great job, and they had other bits of metal that they used to dry their clothes in front of the brazier if they got damp.
They carried the stuff that they needed to keep dry, tinder, matches , wood or coal and newspapers. The sea breeze would blow the smoke away they would sit by the far for many hours just chatting and making what plans they could, while getting warm.
Matt and June were there, they were from the Council, and had something to do with protecting the Pier. At first , Ray and his other homeless mates had been suspicious of them, but they had turned out to be really helpful. They brought them food and sorted out some benefit problems, such as helping them fill in forms and such.
Matt became Ray’s representative payee, and collected his benefits on his behalf because of Ray’s medical condition. Today, he would have some money from Matt and hopefully some good news about accommodation.
Ray sat down on a large rock near the lighted brazier,the heat the brazier generated felt good.The others turned and smiled and moved out of the way a little,to let more of the heat reach Ray.
Matt appeared over Ray’s shoulder.
“Hiya Ray,all good I hope,sorry no news on the flat yet,but I got your money.” Matt patted Ray on his shoulder and held out the money.
“Thanks Matt,that’ll tide me over,I might try the hostal tonight.This cold isn’t helping my fits,it’s so hard to keep warm.”
“I know Ray,maybe I’ll have better news next week”. Matt bluffed,he knew the situation was pretty dire, the waiting list was so long.
Ray grinned and said “Thanks for trying”
Matt and June said their goodbyes and left Ray,Maggie,Becky, Little Pete, and Oscar with some groceries and some more warm clothes and toiletries.Matt and June knew they’d probably get nowhere tonight,and the best they could hope was the weather was kind to them.
It was little Pete’s idea to sleep on the old Birnbeck Pier.He said he knew the safe bits and had even gone as far as the island at the end of the pier.
It was dusk by half past four,and only Little Pete and Ray were left.The others had somewhere to go at least for tonight.
“Anyway it’ll be fun,it’s Halloween tonight and they say the Pier is haunted” Pete said to Ray as he climbed some scaffolding onto the pier.
Ray followed,hoping the pier would be warm and dry.
“Some hope he thought”
Pete was very nimble and didn’t seem worried by the creaks and groans of the wooden beams.It was pitch black now and Ray could hear the lap of the waves below him,but when he looked down all he saw was blackness.
“Christ Pete,are you sure this was a good idea?” Ray moaned regretting his decision.
“Keep up,Ray,nearly there”Was all he got in reply.
When they reached the top, which would have been the old promenade,to their right was a wooden building which had been a ballroom.It wasn’t in too bad repair.
This’ll be a good place to kip down for the night”.Pete beckoned Ray,and they both entered through the double doors which had deteriorated badly with the wind and rain,but would give them some protection for the night
“Just be careful Ray,the floor isn’t too good,see there’s gaps ,you can see the sea down below”.
“Try and stay put here,near the door.”
“OK Pete,I’m ready for kip,what say,we call it a day and get some rest.”
It had probably been about eight O’clock in the evening when the two men had settled down for a sleep. Little Pete had found a good spot,it was sheltered and they were able to keep warm and eat some food The gentle sound of the lapping waves was pleasant and Ray had even got used to the creaking wood.
They settled down comfortably and were soundly asleep when Ray woke with a sudden start.He could hear laughter and music.He thought at first it was outsiders taking the mickey,but what outsiders played waltz music.
He looked up and all was as black as night at the end of the pier. Pete was fast asleep and couldn’t be woken.It was then Ray saw two figures through a broken window , walking arm in arm along the outside of the pier.Promenaders
They were ghostly white and their clothes were Victorian The woman wore a long dress,while the gentleman walked stiffly beside her.He was bald and Ray did not know what to think.He prodded Little Pete but he just snored and turned over.
Ray could still hear the music, and he was frozen to the spot He couldn’t speak anymore.
Then he noticed at the end of the ballroom, what at first he thought was a light.The blackness was turning to grey.Ray looked at his watch it was midnight, grey figures flitted through the blackness,they appeared to be dancing a waltz.
Ray kept his eye though on the bright white face that was coming out of the darkness and heading straight for him.He felt sick and as it grew closer to him,he could see it was a skeleton head with seaweed hanging from it.
The thing was malevolent, Ray could sense its frustration,it was a sailor who had drowned, he did not want to be here.Every year,every year he had to come here and the dancers and promenaders with all their finery laughed at him.He hated that damn music.
The head moved through the darkness faster and faster.Ray lay on his sleeping bag unable to move.He felt the cold,wetness embrace him as the white face and skeleton mouth moved through him.He was rigid with fear
The words
“I am James Chambers” echoed through his head.
Next morning Ray woke after the best night sleep he had had in ages He didn’t say anything to Lil’Pete about what he had seen as Lil’Pete would put it down to the epilepsy.
Instead ,as soon as he could,he made his way to the library and there the volunteers helped him find the register of deaths for the area and he found out the details regarding James Chamber and his family.
In the early Victorian period,James had been a lobster fisherman.He was a widower with two sons,one was a good boy and helped his father.The other was lazy and liked to spend his time socializing with the hoi polloi of Weston.He loved dancing with the ladies at Birnbeck Pier.
One day James asked his lazy son to help him with the lobster pots,the lazy son refused and James went out to sea alone and was never seen again.
Ray found what parish James belonged to and organized a Memorial Service for him at the Parish Church. Something told him that would give his spirit the rest it needed
When looking at the death register in the Library, Ray had also found, a Tom Chambers who had died shortly after his father from “fitting”. This was the son who had helped his father.
After his experience at the Pier, Ray’s health improved and his epileptic fits stopped.He was able to find work in a warehouse and get a place to live.He would visit Birnbeck Pier occassionally,but only during the daytime
Happy Halloween
thenotsomightyom 