New Brighton Palace - 3rd Jun 2009 8:53pm
In June 1876 a new company was formed, it was called The New Brighton Palace Co and it had a share capital of £100,000. The aims of the company were to build a new entertainment centre in the up and coming resort of New Brighton.
Land alongside the beach was acquired and work started on laying the foundations for the buildings, however work soon came to a stop and it seemed unlikely that the project would be completed. A local resident, Mr Laurence Connolly saw the possibilities and bought the site, he completed the buildings and the Palace opened in 1880.
In the winter of 1880 a new salt water bathing pool was added. During the 1882 season, the Palace averaged 10,000 visitors per week
Major changes were made for the 1883 season. The Liverpool Mercury for 22nd March 1883 described it as follows:
Two advertisements were placed in The Era, a London based weekly paper covering theatrical matters, in January 1883, the first offering for rent 1,600 square yards at the Palace for a Circus or similar; the second advert was looking for “New and Sensational Entertainments and Side Shows” for1883 the season.
The opening on Good Friday 1883 was marked by a grand concert and a variety show. This was the pattern followed for many years with entertainment of all types being provided, from classical music to variety. As the reputation of the Palace rose, due in no small part to the quality of the sacred music concerts on Sunday afternoons, many famous classical musicians and singers; and many popular variety acts appeared.
In order to perform a play in those days, a licence was required. The Palace applied for a licence in 1887, but the request was turned down.
In 1896 the building was bought by a Manchester syndicate who planned to build a giant Ferris wheel on the roof. The wheel would have had 42 carriages, each of which would have held 40 passengers. This was never built.
When the tower theatre opened in 1898, business at the Palace was drastically affected but the theatre managed to keep going, in 1903 to increase the number of patrons, it became the first hall in Wallasey to show animated pictures.
In 1907, Wallasey Corporation used its powers under the Tramways and Improvement Act to buy the notorious ‘Ham and Egg Parade’ and most of the other properties, including the Palace, which fronted onto the river. A new, wider, parade and sea wall were built.
The newly formed Tivoli Company took control in 1913, their plan was to rebuild the Palace and build a new arcade and hotel, however these plans were abandoned when problems arose over the building of the Tivoli theatre. The next tenant was Mr Ludwig Blattner who renamed the building the Gaeity and carried out many improvements.
Land alongside the beach was acquired and work started on laying the foundations for the buildings, however work soon came to a stop and it seemed unlikely that the project would be completed. A local resident, Mr Laurence Connolly saw the possibilities and bought the site, he completed the buildings and the Palace opened in 1880.
In the winter of 1880 a new salt water bathing pool was added. During the 1882 season, the Palace averaged 10,000 visitors per week
Major changes were made for the 1883 season. The Liverpool Mercury for 22nd March 1883 described it as follows:
Quote
The Palace, Winter Gardens and Grotto, which have been built by Councillor Connolly, promise to prove a highly popular place of recreation amongst the many holiday makers who visit New Brighton in the summer months. Extensive alterations and improvements have been carried out during the past winter, and every effort has been made to render the Palace and its accessories a thoroughly attractive pleasure resort. The whole covers an area of about three acres, a portion of this space being occupied by splendid sea water baths. In the Palace proper, the “great hall” which has an area of 22,000 square feet, has been completely re-decorated since last season, and has been converted into a charming salon for music and dancing. The walls have been painted by Mr T.W.Grieve, of London, who has depicted a succession of picturesque views of English and Irish scenery from Kildare to Richmond. The ceiling has also been elegantly decorated, and the columns and pilasters have been adorned with mirrors. In the Winter Gardens the greenhouses have been plentifully stocked with tropical and other plants, and they already look bright and beautiful with a variety of blossoms. A spacious open air skating rink has been constructed on the roof of the concert hall, and there also have been provided a recreation ground for children, a well stocked aviary and monkey house, and a smaller concert hall. The most attractive addition, however, is an agreeable grotto, which will afford a cool and refreshing retreat in warm weather. It has been constructed by Mr James Cross of Southport and Manchester, and measures 140 feet by 120 feet. The grotto contains a large waterfall, extending from end to end, a distance of 131 feet, and several cascades intertwined with enarchments. Between the archways play fairy fountains of Swiss design. In the centre is a recess constructed of coral and other grotesque formations, and in the middle of the recess a fairy fountain showers crystallised sprays of water. Rugged rock work, relieved with rich ferns, gives the grotto a charming aspect, and the effect is enhanced by the water-jets from many fountains of varied designs erected at different elevations. The crypt is supported by over forty iron columns, all richly embellished in rustic fashion to represent trees, and these have been surrounded with hardy ferns and mosses of various kinds, whilst the fountains and artificial rivulets have been abundantly supplied with mosses, lichens and aquatic plants, numbering altogether over 12,000.
Two advertisements were placed in The Era, a London based weekly paper covering theatrical matters, in January 1883, the first offering for rent 1,600 square yards at the Palace for a Circus or similar; the second advert was looking for “New and Sensational Entertainments and Side Shows” for1883 the season.
The opening on Good Friday 1883 was marked by a grand concert and a variety show. This was the pattern followed for many years with entertainment of all types being provided, from classical music to variety. As the reputation of the Palace rose, due in no small part to the quality of the sacred music concerts on Sunday afternoons, many famous classical musicians and singers; and many popular variety acts appeared.
In order to perform a play in those days, a licence was required. The Palace applied for a licence in 1887, but the request was turned down.
In 1896 the building was bought by a Manchester syndicate who planned to build a giant Ferris wheel on the roof. The wheel would have had 42 carriages, each of which would have held 40 passengers. This was never built.
When the tower theatre opened in 1898, business at the Palace was drastically affected but the theatre managed to keep going, in 1903 to increase the number of patrons, it became the first hall in Wallasey to show animated pictures.
In 1907, Wallasey Corporation used its powers under the Tramways and Improvement Act to buy the notorious ‘Ham and Egg Parade’ and most of the other properties, including the Palace, which fronted onto the river. A new, wider, parade and sea wall were built.
The newly formed Tivoli Company took control in 1913, their plan was to rebuild the Palace and build a new arcade and hotel, however these plans were abandoned when problems arose over the building of the Tivoli theatre. The next tenant was Mr Ludwig Blattner who renamed the building the Gaeity and carried out many improvements.