Reader's Letter from the Llandudno Advertiser, 2nd December 1897. Some things never change! Note: The Victoria Pier was planned to be built roughly opposite to where Venue Cymru is now, it was never built...
TO CORRESPONDENTS. The ADVERTISER is pqblished every Thursday. All communications to the Editor should be addressed to Llewelyn Chambers, Llewelyn Street. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenticated by the name and address of the writer, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith, and should always be written legibly with ink, and on one side of the paper only. We cannot undertake to return rejected communications (We do not hold ourselves responsible for any opinion expressed by our correspondents.) ).
THE LLANDUDNO VICTORIA PIER.
To the Editor.
Sir, The reference to the above in your contemporary last week deserves some notice. Councillor Thomas Owen may be only concerned for existing attractions and conservatively jealous of the welfare of Llandudno; he is apparently undesirous of providing or encouraging another source of attraction for visitors to our charming town.
Disgusted's suggestion that the magnificent pavilion would abut or be placed on the Promenade is absolutely misleading, and it is to be regretted that he should not have sought authentic information upon the subject before launching a piratical craft against the project in question. The. Pavilion will be sitl at least 180 feet seawards from the Promenade and will face the present one in an oblong shape. It is moonshine to prate about "indignation meetings" and Craig-y-don ratepayers' opposition; the latter welcome the Pavilion and Pier with open arms, recognising them as health and pleasure resorts which cannot fail to conduce to the welfare of themselves and those who visit their houses.
The progressive element in the town is not and has not been asleep it is the "Little Englander" section which is oppressed with nightmares, and views with alarm anything that tends to the expansion of Llandudno. The Council have no jurisdiction over the work or plans, the Board of Trade exempted the scheme from their supervision in any way, and it is purely an act of courtesy on the part of the promoters to place any of their plans, etc., before the Council. There has not been any keeping back" or "hoodwinking" of the Council or Ratepayers. Those of your readers who remember the introduction of the L. & N. W. Railway, the present Pier, the asphalting of the Promenade and footpaths/and other public benefits, will remember hot the faddists and cranks fought against the. Is there any resident or visitor but what approves of their presence in Llandudno ? No, sir The antagonists of the Victoria Pier and Pavilion may as well cease their vain Attempts to frustrate or delay the advent of the work. It is coming to stay, sir and "will be here long arise to confound the gloomy predictions of those who are apparently averse to the development and attractiveness of Llandudno.
I am in a position to state that the New Victoria Pier and Pavilion will be second to none in Great Britain, if not on earth, and will stand proudly forth as distinctive evidence of the determination of Llandudno men not to leave our town behind in the race for popular favour, but to consolidate and maintain its position in the forefront as the Premier Health Resort of the United Kingdom.
Yours, F. J. SARSON.