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High Volkage: Volk's Electric Railway - Jago > .Brighton - Deadly Victorian Beach Holidays | Hidden History > .
But life for many people was not so glamourous. The 1920s also saw Brighton growing in size: in 1921, it was the most densely populated county borough outside London’s West Ham. The first large council estates were built at Moulsecoomb and Queen’s Park in this decade. Whitehawk and Carlton Hill followed in the 1930s, as did mass-unemployment relief projects like the construction of the Black Rock to Rottingdean sea wall, and town centre slum clearances, replacing old fishermen’s cottages with wider streets, larger shops, and flats. The 1930s and ‘40s saw Brighton develop a seedy underworld, peopled by criminal gangs and rife with protection rackets and vice - described in novels like Brighton Rock (Graham Greene, 1938) and Hangover Square (Patrick Hamilton, 1939).
The outbreak of World War II in 1939 saw sections of the Piers removed to prevent enemy landings, while beaches were mined and closed to the public. Fishermen and traders were removed from the seafront. Many local children (and evacuees from elsewhere) were evacuated as Brighton was targeted by regular bombing raids. There were 56 raids in all and over 5,000 houses were damaged or destroyed."
1955 Brighton Story | BFI > .
Brighton
"Brighton could already count 40 000 inhabitants, most of them permanent, at the June census of 1841. But growth on the grand scale began with the railway age, as the railways boosted existing small settlements (they very rarely started new resorts from scratch) by making access cheaper in time and money. The main beneficiaries around mid-century were middle-class families, from the substantial to the struggling, although the relative anonymity of resort settings, especially in southern England, allowed young bachelors in mundane employment to reinvent themselves and go on the spree for a fortnight."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/seaside_01.shtml .
"Brighton could already count 40 000 inhabitants, most of them permanent, at the June census of 1841. But growth on the grand scale began with the railway age, as the railways boosted existing small settlements (they very rarely started new resorts from scratch) by making access cheaper in time and money. The main beneficiaries around mid-century were middle-class families, from the substantial to the struggling, although the relative anonymity of resort settings, especially in southern England, allowed young bachelors in mundane employment to reinvent themselves and go on the spree for a fortnight."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/seaside_01.shtml .
The West Pier is a ruined pier in Brighton, England. It was designed by Eugenius Birch and opened in 1866. It was the first pier to be Grade I listed in England and Wales but has become increasingly derelict since its closure to the public in 1975. As of 2022 only a partial metal framework remains.
The pier was constructed during a boom in pleasure pier building in the 1860s, and was designed to attract tourists to Brighton. It was the town's second pier, joining the Royal Suspension Chain Pier that opened in 1823. The West Pier was extended in 1893, and a concert hall was added in 1916. The pier reached its peak attendance at this time, with 2 million visitors between 1918 and 1919. Its popularity began to decline after World War II, and concerts were replaced by a funfair and tearoom. A local company took over ownership of the pier in 1965, but could not meet the increasing costs of maintenance and filed for bankruptcy.
The pier closed to the public in 1975 and fell into disrepair and gradually collapsed. Major sections fell into the sea during storms in late 2002, and two separate fires, both thought to be arson, in March and May 2003 destroyed most of the remaining structure, leading to English Heritage declaring it beyond repair. Some structured demolition took place in 2010 to make way for the i360 observation tower; further structural damage from storms has occurred since.
The pier was constructed during a boom in pleasure pier building in the 1860s, and was designed to attract tourists to Brighton. It was the town's second pier, joining the Royal Suspension Chain Pier that opened in 1823. The West Pier was extended in 1893, and a concert hall was added in 1916. The pier reached its peak attendance at this time, with 2 million visitors between 1918 and 1919. Its popularity began to decline after World War II, and concerts were replaced by a funfair and tearoom. A local company took over ownership of the pier in 1965, but could not meet the increasing costs of maintenance and filed for bankruptcy.
The pier closed to the public in 1975 and fell into disrepair and gradually collapsed. Major sections fell into the sea during storms in late 2002, and two separate fires, both thought to be arson, in March and May 2003 destroyed most of the remaining structure, leading to English Heritage declaring it beyond repair. Some structured demolition took place in 2010 to make way for the i360 observation tower; further structural damage from storms has occurred since.
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"After WWI, Brighton was still a popular holiday destination, and Art Deco landmarks such as the Lidos at Black Rock (1936) and Saltdean (1937), and Shoreham Airport were opened: scheduled passenger flights began to the Isle of Wight, Croydon, Deauville and Jersey. Popular cinema flourished, and Art Deco picture houses were opened across Brighton to huge crowds. Brighton Dome was redesigned in the Art Deco style, and opened as Brighton’s principal concert, conference and entertainment venue in 1935. The state-of-the-art Modernist block of flats at Embassy Court was built in 1936.
"After WWI, Brighton was still a popular holiday destination, and Art Deco landmarks such as the Lidos at Black Rock (1936) and Saltdean (1937), and Shoreham Airport were opened: scheduled passenger flights began to the Isle of Wight, Croydon, Deauville and Jersey. Popular cinema flourished, and Art Deco picture houses were opened across Brighton to huge crowds. Brighton Dome was redesigned in the Art Deco style, and opened as Brighton’s principal concert, conference and entertainment venue in 1935. The state-of-the-art Modernist block of flats at Embassy Court was built in 1936.
But life for many people was not so glamourous. The 1920s also saw Brighton growing in size: in 1921, it was the most densely populated county borough outside London’s West Ham. The first large council estates were built at Moulsecoomb and Queen’s Park in this decade. Whitehawk and Carlton Hill followed in the 1930s, as did mass-unemployment relief projects like the construction of the Black Rock to Rottingdean sea wall, and town centre slum clearances, replacing old fishermen’s cottages with wider streets, larger shops, and flats. The 1930s and ‘40s saw Brighton develop a seedy underworld, peopled by criminal gangs and rife with protection rackets and vice - described in novels like Brighton Rock (Graham Greene, 1938) and Hangover Square (Patrick Hamilton, 1939).
The outbreak of World War II in 1939 saw sections of the Piers removed to prevent enemy landings, while beaches were mined and closed to the public. Fishermen and traders were removed from the seafront. Many local children (and evacuees from elsewhere) were evacuated as Brighton was targeted by regular bombing raids. There were 56 raids in all and over 5,000 houses were damaged or destroyed."
