# Games Lost to Fire **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2008-07-28 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/news/fire.html --- ## Analysis A major fire destroyed a significant portion of Weston-super-Mare pier in Somerset, England on July 28, 2008, including several newly installed Stern pinball machines (Indiana Jones, Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean, and a new Shrek machine). The owners, Kerry and Michelle Michael, who had recently invested £1 million in upgrades, vowed to restore the pier despite the devastating loss. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Weston-super-Mare pier was 104 years old at the time of the fire — _Stated as fact in article; dated July 28, 2008_ - [HIGH] Kerry and Michelle Michael purchased the pier earlier in 2008 — _Explicitly stated: 'had been purchased earlier this year by brother and sister Kerry and Michelle Michael'_ - [HIGH] The owners spent £1 million upgrading pier facilities prior to fire — _Stated as fact: 'owners had recently spent £1 million ($2 million) upgrading the facilities'_ - [HIGH] A new Indiana Jones, Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Shrek pinball machine were installed at the pier — _Explicitly listed: 'A new Indiana Jones, a Spider-Man and a Pirates Of The Caribbean were sited there and had been joined by a new-in-box Shrek machine'_ - [HIGH] The pier had previously burned down in 1930 and took three years to rebuild — _Stated as historical fact: 'The pier has burned down before - the last time in 1930 - and been rebuilt, although that time it took three years'_ - [HIGH] The pier's foundations and thick hardwood floor survived the 2008 fire — _Stated: 'the foundations of the structure are thought to have survived the fire. The thick hardwood floor also held'_ ### Notable Quotes > "Mr Michael said he and his sister were 'absolutely devastated' by the fire but would 'work tirelessly to restore' the pier." > — **Kerry Michael (or Michelle Michael)**, July 28, 2008 > _Demonstrates owner commitment to restoration despite major financial loss of newly installed machines and pier infrastructure_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Weston-super-Mare pier | location | 104-year-old seaside pier in Somerset, England that caught fire on July 28, 2008, destroying multiple Stern pinball machines | | Kerry Michael | person | Co-owner of Weston-super-Mare pier; purchased pier earlier in 2008 with sister Michelle to develop as tourist attraction | | Michelle Michael | person | Co-owner of Weston-super-Mare pier; purchased pier earlier in 2008 with brother Kerry to develop as tourist attraction | | Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer of machines destroyed in fire: Indiana Jones, Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Shrek | | Indiana Jones | game | Stern pinball machine installed at Weston-super-Mare pier, destroyed in July 28, 2008 fire | | Spider-Man | game | Stern pinball machine installed at Weston-super-Mare pier, destroyed in July 28, 2008 fire | | Pirates of the Caribbean | game | Stern pinball machine installed at Weston-super-Mare pier, destroyed in July 28, 2008 fire | | Shrek | game | New Stern pinball machine installed at Weston-super-Mare pier just days before fire; destroyed in July 28, 2008 fire | | Weston-super-Mare | location | Town in north Somerset, England's south-west, home to the pier destroyed in 2008 fire | ### Topics - **Primary:** Arcade/location destruction, Stern Pinball machines - **Secondary:** UK seaside attractions, Asset loss and restoration ### Sentiment **Negative** (-0.85) — Article documents a catastrophic loss of newly invested infrastructure and pinball machines, though tempered slightly by factual tone and owner's expressed commitment to restoration --- ## Transcript Date: 28th July 2008. Pictures courtesy Fishboy & BBC News One of the UK's foremost seaside attractions went up in flames today as fire destroyed a large part of Weston-super-Mare's pier. Weston-super-Mare pier before the fire The quarter-mile long pier, located in north Somerset in Robert Englunds's south-west corner, was 104 years old and had been purchased earlier this year by brother and sister Kerry and Michelle Michael who were committed to developing it into a major tourist attraction. The fire at Weston-super-Mare pier As part of this development, the owners had recently spent £1 million ($2 million) upgrading the facilities and installed a number of new Stern machines in the pier's arcade. The games before the fire A new Indiana Jones, a Spider-Man and a Pirates Of The Caribbean were sited there and had been joined by a new-in-box Shrek machine just a few days before the fire, which is believed to have destroyed them all. Equipment engulfed in the flames The pier has burned down before - the last time in 1930 - and been rebuilt, although that time it took three years. But the good news is how nobody was hurt and how the foundations of the structure are thought to have survived the fire. The thick hardwood floor also held, making any restoration that much easier. Mr Michael said he and his sister were "absolutely devastated" by the fire but would "work tirelessly to restore" the pier. Back to the News page Back to the front page _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: a5ca2e68-1efa-4d5d-b20b-030fd5a3a380*