Weston often gets bad press - but the seaside town has much to shout about. Whether it be the popular summer events which fill the Beach Lawns or the many fish and chip shops which line the seafront.
The Somerset town has also provided a platform to many famous faces, from journalists to sports stars to politicans.
After revealing famous people from east Bristol and south Bristol, here we have listed 10 of the most famous people from Weston-super-Mare. Have we missed anyone? Email us at [email protected]
1. Jeffery Archer - author and former politician
Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare was born in London but moved to Weston-super-Mare as a child. He attended Wellington School and found initial local fame through his mother Lola writing a weekly column in the Weston Mercury which would frequently mention him, calling him Tuppence. He went on to become an MP from 1969 to 1974 and a best-selling novelist.
2. Ritchie Blackmore - musician
Best known being a member of Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore was born at Allendale Nursing Home in Weston in 1945. He moved to Middlesex with his family aged two. He was a member of The Outlaws before joining Roundabout in 1967, which was renamed Deep Purple on his suggestion. He later founded Rainbow and Blackmore’s Night. His riff in Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water is perhaps one of the most well-known in rock music.
3. Jill Dando - journalist
No list of famous people from Weston could be without the late Jill Dando. Jill was born in Ashcombe House Maternity Home in Weston, and went to Worle Infant School, Greenwood Junior School, Worle Comprehensive School and Broadoak Sixth Form Centre. She joined the Weston Mercury before, after five years reporting on her hometown, moved to the BBC. In early 1988, she went to work in national television in London and presented BBC news until the mid-1990s. But in 1999, she was tragically shot in the head outside her front door in Fulham. Barry George was convicted of her murder in 2001, but then cleared after a retrial in 2008.
4. Jon Bass - footballer
Maybe not the most well-known footballer, and some local fans will be perturbed Jon Bass gets the nod ahead of Dayle Grubb. Jon was born in Weston and joined Birmingham City’s youth set up, later playing 68 times for the senior side. The full back went on to play for Hartlepool United and Bristol Rovers.