News Release: 

Pier Review — a journey to the outcrops of a dying culture

Two writers from Birmingham are attempting to record the changing face of the country's culture and are visiting every surviving seaside pier to do so—and that's 56 of them in two weeks.
Danny Smith and Jon Bounds, the editors of Dirty Bristow magazine, consider themselves perfectly placed to write about an ephemeral British seaside because that's what the seaside is to Brummies: a ghost, a Vaseline-smeared Shangri-La cobbled together from Carry On films, hazy childhood memories and nostalgia for a bygone era.
Danny Smith said; "For years now the British seaside has been seen as in a state of decline, but with the rise of blue flag beaches, 'staycations' and flexible working hours the seaside is fighting back. This battle can be seen by the piers, with some earmarked for demolition, burnt to the ground or just plain forgotten and others planning huge remodelling as 'consumer leisure experiences'. The very soul of the British seaside is up for grabs."
The project and the book has been funded entirely by web-based crowdfunding and drawing from our contacts around the country. Over £600 has been raised by pledgers who get special gifts like first edition copies, or even a postcard from each pier. 
Starting at Weston-Super-Mare and going anticlockwise, the team plan to test their nostalgic memories. Jon Bounds says: "We'll take the water, and the air, head for the most basic B+Bs and the grandest hotels. They plan to have a mods vs rockers fight in the shadow of Brighton pier, check out the dying of the Hi-de-Hi light by spending a night at a Pontins camp, gamble on the penny-slots and hunt for saucy postcards on Blackpool prom."
You can see more information on pierreview.co.uk
Notes for Editors

Photographs attached are free to use and feature Jon Bounds (L) and Danny Smith (R) — photo credit: Pete Ashton
The Pier Review plan is to visit all 56 surviving piers in England and Wales (as defined by the National Pier Society http://www.piers.org.uk/pierpages/NPS0regionssurv.html ) in a strict two week period from the 12th September. Starting at Weston-Super-Mare and finishing at Penarth.
The schedule:	
12th	CLEVEDON 
12th	WESTON-SUPER-MARE Birnbeck 
12th	WESTON-SUPER-MARE Grand 
12th	BURNHAM-ON-SEA 
13th	FALMOUTH Prince of Wales
13th	 PAIGNTON
13th	TORQUAY Princess 
13th	TEIGNMOUTH 
14th	WEYMOUTH Bandstand* 
14th	WEYMOUTH Commercial & Pleasure
14th	SWANAGE 
14th	BOURNEMOUTH 
14th	Boscombe
14th	YARMOUTH, Isle of Wight 
14th	TOTLAND BAY, Isle of Wight (Private) (closed apart from café)
14th	 SANDOWN Culver, Isle of Wight (Private)
14th	RYDE, Isle of Wight Grade II listed (Private)
15th	SOUTHAMPTON Royal 
15th	SOUTHSEA Clarence 
15th	SOUTHSEA South Parade
15th	BOGNOR REGIS  
15th	WORTHING 
15th	BRIGHTON PALACE
16th	EASTBOURNE 
16th	HASTINGS 
16th	DEAL
17th	GRAVESEND Town 
17th	HERNE BAY 
17th	SOUTHEND-ON-SEA 
17th	CLACTON-ON-SEA
17th	WALTON-ON-THE-NAZE
17th	HARWICH Halfpenny
18th	FELIXSTOWE 
18th	SOUTHWOLD 
18th	LOWESTOFT Claremont 
18th	 LOWESTOFT South
18th	GREAT YARMOUTH Britannia 
18th	GREAT YARMOUTH Wellington 
18th	CROMER
18th	SKEGNESS 
18th	CLEETHORPES 
19th	SALTBURN 
19th	BLACKPOOL Central 
19th	BLACKPOOL North 
19th	BLACKPOOL South
19th	ST ANNES 
20th	 SOUTHPORT 
21st	COLWYN BAY Victoria 
21st	 LLANDUDNO 
21st	BANGOR
21st	BEAUMARIS 
21st	ABERYSTWYTH Royal 
22nd 	MUMBLES
22nd	PENARTH 

Jon Bounds is a writer, artist, and psychogeographer who’s been documenting Birmingham’s outsider culture on the website Birmingham: It’s Not Shit for nearly ten years. He’s also written on Brum and other things for The Birmingham Post, Fused, Area Magazine and The Guardian. He’s one half of the publishers and editors of Dirty Bristow magazine.

Danny Smith is a writer, anti-artist, and ne'er-do-well, his work has appeared in Vice, Fused, and Area magazine. His writing has also appeared on the interwebs for over ten years on various websites including his own edgetrinkets.com, he typically writes about culture, pop and otherwise, and his own experiences travelling through the subcultures. He’s the other half of the publishers and editors of Dirty Bristow magazine.

Subject to schedule Danny and Jon are available to meet or speak to reporters as they travel around the route, or before.

Contact:
jon@dirtybristow.co.uk
07974 789 455

dan@dirtybristow.co.uk
07815 290 422