As if I needed any further persuading, it was the amazing Art Deco Pavilion that really 'sold' Victoria Pier to me. When I saw it and realised what treasures lie hidden beneath all the alterations, muck and grime, I just had to have it!

The first grand pavilion burnt down in 1922, The second pavilion in 1933. 

Determined that fire would never befall the pavilion again, the third (current) pavilion was designed to be fire-proof, and for its day was a very technically advanced building. Nothing like it had ever been built on a pier, and nothing quite like it ever has since!

The pavilion is built of a steel frame, with Hy-Rib panels attached thereto, which are then plastered with a thick layer of sand, cement and lime render. All of the door and window frames are steel. The only timber used in the building is the Canadian Maple flooring. The pavilion's fire-proof qualities were put to the test in the early 90's when vandals tried to set fire to the ballroom after the pier was closed to the public. After piling all the loose timber and rubbish they could find in the ballroom, the fire they lit just burnt the floor-boards!

The pavilion was converted in the late 1960s to the Dixieland Showbar. This involved cladding the entire interior and exterior of the building, covering up virtually all of the original doors and windows and decorative features. Inside the ballroom, a massive suspended ceiling was created, reducing the height by a good third.

Not surprisingly, this work caused a great deal of damage to the original Art Deco building, which will be difficult and expensive to restore.

During 2004, the whole of the interior was stripped of all of the dreadful 1960's refit. The plaster alone from the ballroom ceiling filled 10 skips!, and it all had to be carried up the pier in buckets, as you can't get a skip lorry onto a pier of course! Most of the exterior cladding has also been removed, allowing light back through the original windows, most of which survive.

Restoration of the Exterior

During 2005, the outer upper half of the front wall of the pavilion was rebuilt using the same techniques as 70 years ago. Fortunately the Hy-Rib metal lath is still made today by Expamet. I contacted Expamet, who were very interested and helpful. Their sales manager, Victor Camble, came to visit and generously agreed to part sponsor the restoration of the pavilion by providing a quantity of Hy-Rib free of charge. Expamet also found some original technical literature from the 1930s which they kindly gave me copies of. The amazing thing is that the Hy-Rib has not been made 'metric' and the new material produced today meshes in perfectly with the original that has been there over 70 years. It is testament to the excellent product that it has lasted so long in such a harsh environment, indeed Expamet were fascinated that it was still standing! Although the Hy-rib will never be seen by anyone, it is nice to be able to use the correct materials in the restoration of the building. Apart from anything else, it is proven to last at least 70 years, so it will outlive me before it needs doing again!

The first coat of render being applied to the Hy-Rib metal lath,
exactly as it was in 1933 when originally built.

The roof of the pavilion is quite complicated. The main roof over the Ballroom is pitched, the roofs over the bar and restaurant areas are flat. Flat roofs always give problems in the best of situations, but when they are 70 years old and in the middle of the sea, it presents an extra challenge! After considering many many different methods, it has been decided to repair and re-roof with fibre-glass. It seems to be the most durable of materials, after all sea-going vessels are made of it!, and is relatively easy to use and also easy to repair. The downside is that it is quite expensive.

Restoration of the Interior - Stained Glass Ceiling

The ceiling of the ballroom has one of the best features of the building: a 360 sq ft glass panel of Art Deco design. Sadly during the 1960s refit, workmen simply smashed holes through it in order to hang the steel suspensions for the new lower ceiling. This was quite unnecessary as all the panels lift out and could have simply been slid out of the way, but I suppose that would have been no fun!

Initial stripping out of the plaster and mesh 1960s suspended ceiling.
The true scale of the Ballroom starting to be revealed for
the first time in almost 40 years.

The glass ceiling after removal of the 1960's suspended ceiling.
You can still see the steel suspension bars hanging down
that were punched through the glass.

When I initially came to view the pier before purchase, I actually climbed on top and walked over the 'new' ceiling in order to get a look at the stained glass panel. I was gob-smacked to say the least! - how anyone could allow this to have been treated in such way was beyond me.

As a result of the BBC website, Stained Glass Artist Mike Lees got in touch with me, and came to look at the panel. Mike fell in love with it too, and generously agreed to restore all the damage. After some quite extensive searching, glass has been found that matches almost perfectly the different colours and textures of the original, and when completed you shouldn't be able to see the joins! Mike is working on the panels at the moment at his workshop and gallery on Anglesey, and hopes to have it completed by early 2007.

Click on the picture to visit Mike Lees Glass Gallery & Workshops

Restoration of the Interior - Murals

The Ballroom and Restaurant, and possibly the Bar (as yet unconfirmed) areas of the Pavilion were decorated with a serious of murals by Eric Ravilious and Mary Adshead (Daughter of the building's architect Professor S. D. Adshead)

Over the years the walls on which these amazing murals survive have been painted, plastered and even wall-papered! The two Eric Ravilious murals in the Restaurant or Tea Room are the only surviving Ravilious murals anywhere in the world, and as such are internationally important works of art. The Murals by Mary Adshead represent some of her earliest work, and are again of immense artistic importance. 

Recovering these works of art from the years of neglect and many many layers of paint and plaster applied over them will be a painstakingly slow and very expensive process. Obviously it is important to get the building weather-tight first before restoration of the murals can begin, since bizarrely enough, they are actually protected somewhat at the moment by everything that covers them.

The Adshead murals above the doors leading from the Ballroom to the Restaurant / Tea Room. The left-hand mural has now been partially uncovered.

One of the Eric Ravilious murals in the Restaurant / Tea Room, depicting an underwater scene.

Restoration of the Interior - Flooring

During an arson attack in the early 1990s, the lovely Canadian Maple wooden flooring in the Ballroom was badly damaged. The previous pier owners repaired the structural damage to the floor and laid plywood sheets as a temporary flooring. The intention in a few years time is to take up what is left of the original Ballroom floor, together with all the matching flooring from the back-stage areas etc. which will hopefully provide enough of the original matching maple to re-lay the entire Ballroom floor. This method is the only way the floor can be restored as close as is possible to the original. The ancillary rooms will then receive new maple floors to match as closely as possible.

The Restaurant / Tea Room still retains a large part of what appears to be the original linoleum flooring, in pink and green marbled finishes with a striking central Art-Deco design. It is hoped this can be saved, though a new border needs to be laid. From careful stripping back of later layers in the Bar area, it is clear to see this had a matching design, though sadly none of it survives. It should be possible to lay a new linoleum floor to closely match the original using modern laser-cutting techniques.

The Foyer area of the Pavilion retains what appear to be the original large terracotta tiles, and these are mostly in very good condition, apart from being covered in all manner of glue and gunge from where carpet has been stuck down over the years.

The kitchen / toilet and service areas retain almost all of their original terazzo and granolithic flooring, mostly of a creamy main area with black borders and green skirting, and hopefully these can be repaired where needed and re-polished.

Restoration of the Interior - Stage & Dressing Rooms etc.

Fortunately, once all of the later additions were ripped out, it was found that the original stage and back-stage areas survive probably 90% intact. Features such as the original safety curtain and sprinkler controls all remain in-situ. Even the original bevelled mirrors and Art-Deco sinks survive in the dressing rooms! Above the stage the original long lighting battens are still there, with all their glass reflectors in good order. It should be possible to re-wire these and with a little ingenuity they can be made to work from modern stage lighting control systems. The stage has a rising microphone stand (that actually goes right through the bottom of the pier!) and a trapdoor big enough for a person to get through - though I haven't investigated how either of these work yet!

A new main power supply was installed to the stage in time for the 2005 visit of the Circus of Horrors, who were the first live act to appear at Victoria Pier for 20 years when they first visited in November of 2004.

Restoration of the Interior - Bar area

At present I have no photos or drawings of how the original bar looked. Since I want the restoration to be as authentic as possible, further research is required before much work can start in this area. The space is likely to be put to several different uses in the next few years before final restoration to the original look of the Bar commences.

Restoration of the Interior - Restaurant / Tea Room

Fortunately I do have a photo of how this area looked (see above) so restoration is a bit easier. The ceiling in this part is interesting, being a 'tented' shape. This needs some repair work, but is largely in-tact. The previous owners converted this part of the Pavilion into living accommodation and lived there during their ownership of the pier. I have lived there too, but the winters do get very chilly! For 2007 the plan is to move the living accommodation to a different part of the building not currently in use, and convert the restaurant into an Art Gallery which will be open all year round for the next few years. Eventually this area will be restored to a Restaurant again, with even the furnishings matched as closely as possible to the photo above.

A Labour of Love!

If you've read this far down, well done! - as you can probably tell, I'm quite passionate about this building. It is a wonderful, important, unique Grade II listed building. It has also suffered from years and years of neglect and abuse and is now a shadow of its former self. However, I am determined that it shall be restored as accurately as possible, regardless of the time it takes, or the money it costs. Am I mad? ... YES!! ... it would be far cheaper to knock it down and build a new tin shed thing (like on of those multiplex cinemas), but that is hardly the point is it?

It is an utter disgrace the way our built heritage in this country is simply razed to the ground and replaced by utter rubbish in the name of "regeneration". Whilst, generally speaking, Castles and Stately Homes are saved and preserved, many buildings far more important because of their unique features are lost every year. We have dozens of well preserved Castles in the UK (and rightly so) - but if Victoria Pier was allowed to simply slip beneath the waves, as even some of our local councilors would like to see, where would anyone ever have the chance to see another Art Deco building full of 1930s Ravilious and Adshead murals? - no-where! There is only this one... It MUST be saved!

Further updates and more photos to come - check back soon.