Victoria Pier, Coatham, Redcar
The Victoria Pier was built in 1875 and intended to be 2000ft long, the Griffin and Corrymbus collided with it in a storm in 1874 before it was even complete and it was shortened by 200ft.
The pier had two two pavilions, the first an indoor skating rink. The second pavilion located in the middle of the pier, was for band concerts.
In 1898 the Birger collided with the pier, splitting it in two and leading to its closure closed.
In 1923 the end of the pier was renovated and a glass and metal pavillion placed on top.
In 1928 this was in turn demolished and the New Pavilion Theatre built which finally became the Regent Cinema in the 1960s
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:51 pm
I was tempted to search for The New Pavilion Theatre today and discovered this site. It brought back memories. As a young man of 18 I was an assistant stage manager playing parts in weekly repertory with “The North Riding Theatre Company” operated by one W.H. Lorraine from, I believe, Whitby. This was in the 1950’s.
I had come over from what was then Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) to join a London newspaper but by chance applied for this job and got it!
It was extremely hard work rehearsing a play every week whilst performing the one from the previous week. After the second house on Saturday we would “strike” the set and put the new one in place, often working in freezing wind off the sea as the sets were painted under the stage and were brought in via the beach!
I returned to Rhodesia, then worked in broadcasting in Kenya and Tanzania before joining the BBC where I met the former producer at the Pavilion, Peter Ashby Bailey who was an actor in the “English by Radio” series of the BBC’s Overseas Services.