Journalist Tool

Kineticist

  • HDashboard
  • IItems
  • ↓Ingest
  • SSources
  • KBeats
  • BBriefs
  • RIntel
  • QSearch
  • AActivity
  • +Health
  • ?Guide

v0.1.0

← Back to items

Games Lost to Fire

Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Jul 28, 2008
View original
Export .md

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.010

TL;DR

Fire destroys Weston-super-Mare pier, claiming multiple Stern pinball machines.

Summary

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

  • Weston-super-Mare pier was 104 years old at the time of the fire

    high confidence · Stated as fact in article; dated July 28, 2008

  • Kerry and Michelle Michael purchased the pier earlier in 2008

    high confidence · Explicitly stated: 'had been purchased earlier this year by brother and sister Kerry and Michelle Michael'

  • The owners spent £1 million upgrading pier facilities prior to fire

    high confidence · Stated as fact: 'owners had recently spent £1 million ($2 million) upgrading the facilities'

  • A new Indiana Jones, Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Shrek pinball machine were installed at the pier

    high confidence · 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'

  • The pier had previously burned down in 1930 and took three years to rebuild

    high confidence · 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'

  • The pier's foundations and thick hardwood floor survived the 2008 fire

    high confidence · 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

Weston-super-Mare pierlocationKerry MichaelpersonMichelle MichaelpersonStern PinballcompanyIndiana JonesgameSpider-MangamePirates of the CaribbeangameShrekgameWeston-super-Marelocation

Topics

Arcade/location destructionprimaryStern Pinball machinesprimaryUK seaside attractionssecondaryAsset loss and restorationsecondary

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

raw_text · $0.000

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