I've been nosing lately at the archives of the North Wales Chronicle (available online for a small fee) and thought I'd do a bit of research into the Pier Pavilion's construction.
Early view of Pavilion:
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Interior of Pavilion:
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We tend to look back on these sort of construction projects as an example of 'how it should be done these days' but, in the case of the Pavilion, its design and construction was an ongoing saga that gripped the town of Llandudno and was little sort of a disaster that nearly bankrupted the Llandudno Pier Company.
Work started in 1882 and included the building of what became known as the 'pier extension' - the section between the present promenade and the Happy Valley Valley road entrance. The total cost of the scheme was £10,000. Work was supposed to be completed by the 15th June 1883 in order for a grand opening in July but it never happened. Problems with the design and several sets of contractors abandoning the project due to its complexity meant that work was still progressing in January 1884 under the direct control of the Pier Company. After two years, the only part of the building to be open was the Reading Room (which was 'comfortably warmed' and with 'splendid views of the bay').
Gales had been hampering construction work for several days when, on Saturday 26th January 1884 at about 3pm (not during the night of January 25th, as was commonly thought), what was described as a 'hurricane' from the South-West caused the glass roof of the Pavilion to collapse, the section nearest the sea being first to give away, with workmen running for their lives as several further sections collapsed and glass panels shattered. Some large iron girders narrowly missed the fleeing workmen as they fell. Falling debris also damaged the side of the neighbouring Baths Hotel and glass covered Happy Valley Road.
Pier Pavilion after storm damage:
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This was the last thing the Pier Company needed, the Pavilion project was running both over time and budget already. The Company's AGM took place in early February and it was announced that the architects and builders were were dismissed, to be replaced by Messrs Holmes & Vawdry of Liverpool (architects) and Mr Handysides of Derby (builders). Mr Vawdry surveyed the damage and declared that 'whoever had designed the upper part of the building had no experience/knowledge of what was required to make it fit for purpose'. The redesign and repairs to the Pavilion roof were to cost £1500, with the idea of a glass roof being scrapped and a sturdy zinc one installed instead. This sum, together with existing cost overruns, called into question the very future of the Pier Company, it was said that £11,000 being needed to stave off the financial problems and the suggestion being made that the Pier Company should be 'wound up'. Fortunately, the largest shareholders all chipped in to save the day. The Directors did declare themselves pleased with the one area of the Pavilion that had opened to the Public - the sea water swimming baths in the basement - which had taken £25 8s 1d in the two weeks at the end of the 1883 season that it had been open!
The Pavilion eventually opened for business in September 1884 and was an immediate success. Besides the orchestral and vocal performances in the theatre, the Egyptian Hall Annexe also housed a Mr Reddish, a man who could remain underwater in a tank for nearly 4 minutes and was capable of 'eating and reading a newspaper underwater'!
To try and recoup some of their losses, the Pier Company's Directors decided to try and keep it open all year round, and installed a reading room and games such as chess, lawn tennis etc. A programme of regular concerts, featuring guest vocalists, was also arranged. The aim was to make it a 'home of amusements' in the Winter.
It took until 1888 for the Pier Company to get back onto a stable financial footing, with the directors admitting at the AGM that only the barest minimum of maintenance to the Pier had been carried out in the previous few years, with no money even being available for it to be painted. Some things never change, eh?
Exterior - Seaward side - Pier Pavilion:
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