Beauty pageant at Black Rock

The Black Rock Lido, a once beloved fixture of Brighton’s seafront, opened its doors on 8 August 1936. The Art Deco building boasted a 165 by 60 foot pool filled with over 330,000 gallons of crystal-clear water. More than just a swimming spot, the lido offered sunbathing terraces, a top-notch restaurant, a paddling pool for children - and a venue for beauty pageants! One such gala - from 60 years ago - was captured in a Michael Gillings film, now freely available to view at the British Film Institute website.

According to Tim Carder’s Encyclopaedia of Brighton, the name Black Rock probably came from a large rock or cave that existed at the foot of the cliffs, though it may have arisen because colliers were forced to unload their cargos outside the then town boundaries to avoid local coal taxes. Precisely for that reason, Black Rock was chosen in 1818-1819 by The Brighton Gas Light and Coke Company to build a coal-gas production works. Carder notes that some terraced housing followed, as did the opening of an inn, The Abergavenny Arms. In 1901, Volk was granted permission to extend his railway east from the Banjo Groyne all the way to Black Rock.

The lido, in its heyday, drew up to 80,000 visitors annually, hosting impressive swimming displays and even being considered as a training ground for Olympic athletes. The pool continued to operate during the war years, and after the war it hosted beauty pageants. The BFI online has a fabulous film of the 1965 pageant. Here’s the caption: ‘Michael Gillings’ remarkable film, made on a breezy day, sees would-be beauty queens parading for the judges at the 1965 Miss Brighton contest. The contestants strut along the poolside at Black Rock Lido, though the wind plays havoc with their elaborate bouffant hairdos. The contest continues later in the day, though now in sunshine, to a packed audience. After much posing in line-ups a winner is eventually chosen and photographers and officials swarm around her.’

Unfortunately, the pool’s glory days were numbered. The 1970s brought the construction of Brighton Marina, which spelled trouble for the once-popular swimming spot. Construction dust and noise drove visitors away, and attendance plummeted. Structural issues emerged, with the pool developing cracks and beginning to tilt. By 1978, the lido had shut its doors for the last time. It was demolished the following year.

For decades after, the site lay dormant, an ugly buffer between the Marina and the joys of Brighton Beach stretching miles to the west. Various redevelopment ideas have come and gone, but none took hold. Brighton & Hove City Council does have ambitious plans to rejuvenate the eastern seafront - see, for example, ‘Fantastic new refectory’ - but the site of the pool remains no more than a car park. Memories of visiting the pool as well as old photographs can be found at My Brighton and Hove.

A £3.75m view of Brighton Beach

For sale: a grade 2-listed, Regency mansion on Brighton’s Kemptown seafront. All yours for a sweet £3.75m. ‘This magnificent property,’ estate agent Foster & Co says, ‘enjoys panoramic sea views whilst providing unparalleled elegance across six storeys of beautiful Georgian architecture’. 

Built in 1828, 9 Eastern Terrace has an illustrious history. Although the details seem patchy, it is widely reported that in 1910, when the last King of Portugal, Manuel II, was exiled during the revolution, he fled to England, and lived for a while at 9 Eastern Terrace before moving to reside in Fulwell Park, Twickenham. In 1932, aged only 42, he died unexpectedly, from an acute swelling of the throat and suffocation. Some regarded the death as suspicious partly because, the year before, an intruder had been caught in the grounds of Fulwell, and the intruder had been linked to a Portuguese republican terrorist group.

9 Eastern Terrace later became the Royal Sussex Hotel and then part of the Municipal Training College until at least 1965. Around 1995, the property was bought for £125,000 by Doctors Jennifer and Noushin Farhoumand, both members of the Brighton and Hove Bahá'í Spiritual Assembly. Dr Noushin Farhoumand, who died in July 2023, was a distinguished consultant psychiatrist who is said to have dedicated his career to advancing mental health services and education. Jennifer Farhoumand was a consultant in public health medicine. Both were trained at Makerere University Medical School in Uganda.

Foster & Co lists the properties impressive characteristics: circa 10,000 sq. ft. across six opulent storeys, a self-contained basement apartment, five reception rooms, eight bedrooms, double-height mezzanine library, full-sized billiards room, marble fireplaces, alabaster pillars, and a spectacular sweeping stone staircase. Plus a roof terrace, balcony and private courtyards.

The Farhoumands let out their property to film makers, on at least a couple of occasions. In 1999, the production team for Neil Jordan’s End of the Affair (an adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel of the same name) selected 9 Eastern Terrace to represent a seaside hotel where pivotal scenes between the lead characters unfold. These scenes of an extra-marital affair were played by on-screen lovers Ralph Fiennes and Julianne Moore. (See The Free Library). 

In 2013, the first-floor drawing room of 9 Eastern Terrace was used for The Left-Hand Path, a supernatural thriller written by local author Louise Pennington (Baroness Bentinck), based on her erotic novel, Jessica’s Lover. Terri Dwyer, a former Hollyoaks actress, played the female lead and was quoted in The Argus as saying of the house: ‘[It] is amazing. It’s beautiful, there’s a real character to it and it’s been great to film in. When you’re doing a film it’s particularly nice when a set contributes to the role, so it’s quite easy to become Jessica in this kind of ornate, grandiose room.’

A rumble below the cocktails?

There’s a right construction bustle going on along the Madeira Drive beach front near Yellowave and Sea Lanes. Most of it stems from the work - now well under way - on Phase 1 of the Madeira Terrace restoration. See Madeira Terrace restoration - hurrah!. But there are also road works that have just started on the narrowest stretch of Madeira Drive; and, at the Jungle Rumble cafe, the owners are extending their roof terrace over the Volks Railway! 

Since the start of works on the central 28 arches of Madeira Terraces there has been much activity along the seafront road, especially in and around the new commercial centre focusing on Sea Lanes and Yellowave. But that little area has got even busier with digging up of the road to allow a new electricity cable to be run from the nearby substation to the construction works area under arches. ALS Civil & Mechanical Engineers is responsible for the works, presumably sub-contracted by JT Mackley & Co.

A little further along is Jungle Rumble, a cafe and mini-golf establishment; both are next to the council’s popular Peter Pan Playground. The cafe, in particular, has grown in recent years, with a roof terrace in 2022, and the winning of an alcohol licence. See Brighton and Hove News. 

Now, as these photos show, the cafe looks to be nearly doubling the size of its roof terrace. And, it is doing this by extending its roof out over the Volks railway lines. Time will tell whether rooftop cocktail drinkers might experience a rumble below. (Aerial image is a screenshot taken from the Jungle Rumble website video.)

Incredulous and angry

Oh the irony, the i360 irony! Brighton & Hove Council has agreed to release the security on its £51m loan debt and rolled-up interest in the failed i360 business. Concerted efforts were made to find a buyer before it went into administration late last year - see i360 stranded sky with sky high debts - but without success. Writing off the debt, the council concluded in an urgent meeting last night, was the only way forward, leaving the administrators, Interpath Advisory, free to negotiate with an as-yet unnamed buyer.

A full report of the council meeting and write-off decision can viewed at the Brighton & Hove News website. The council leader Bella Sankey was reported as saying: ‘If the i360 can operate again then it can help bring in business rates. And if we proceed with the recommended buyer that has come forward, the city council will get a small share of future revenues. While this may be the least-worst option, I understand why residents are so incredulous that this situation has come to pass - I’m incredulous and angry.’

Sankey also suggested that a derelict i360 would become like the West Pier but without its ‘rugged rustiness’ loved by many. The ironies of this situation, of course, are as visible as the i360 tower itself. Part of the rationale for the original project was that it would generate funds for the West Pier Trust, which owns the West Pier ruin and the land on which the i360 sits, and that it could lead to a rebuilding of the West Pier - ha ha! Now, though, the rusting West Pier still stands, a warning to all those involved with the i360 of where abandonment can lead. And yet, that abandoned infrastructure has also deteriorated, one might say, into one of Brighton’s major tourist attractions.

It is worth noting this from the council’s report to last night’s meeting: ‘Restarting operation of the attraction is important, and not just for the visitor economy. Any option that sees the attraction abandoned would result in a significant and extremely visible blight - not just to the beach but in key views across the whole city. The practical reality is that demolition of the attraction could, potentially, end up falling to the council and could also come at considerable cost.’

And here is the (rather optimistic) conclusion to that report: ‘The i360 has been a catalyst for regeneration benefits in that part of the seafront, and it has positively contributed to the city’s tourism economy since 2016. However, these benefits have come at considerable cost to the public purse, and the money could have been used to deliver other public benefit. The new owners come with a clean slate and are not linked to the previous ownership and are not in any way responsible for the previous harm to the public purse. As such they and the i360 should be supported to be a success so has the potential to generate revenue that the city council will share into the future.’

We wait to learn who next will take on the sky-high attraction. (NB: The photograph above dates from 10 years ago during the construction phase - does it bring a headless chicken to mind?) 

Après Ski By The Sea!

Snow does not often fall on Brighton Beach; and very infrequently does it settle on the pebbles. Nevertheless, yesterday saw a brief, but flurry-full snowstorm. There was traffic chaos, of course, and children’s joy undiminished in residential streets and parks. It may or may not be widely known but Brighton Beach has the perfect venue for such days.

Located at 127 Kings Road Arches, the family-run Brighton Music Hall boasts the largest beach terrace in the UK with covered spaces. Every winter, the owners say, ‘we like to bring you something new and exciting - join us for Après Ski By The Sea!’. Amazingly, I would say, so far from the mountains, Après Ski By The Sea! features faux fur filled igloos, ski chalets clad with tartans, cushions, alpine backdrops and log fires, the Fallen Fairy bar, and decadent cocktails, alpine treats and dishes. And, of course, a wooden toboggan.

Currently, the venue’s website offers, in its What’s On section, ‘Drag Roasts’ and ‘Funky Fridays’. It is also promising free fizz for early birds who are prepared to make a 15 + booking for Christmas 2025.

As it’s perfectly possible the rest of these 365 days will pass by without further snowfalls, I am taking this opportunity to display the most snowy Brighton Beach photo I have - from April 2008. Although the ragged snowman is mine, the photo of Hattie was taken by a passing stranger, a professional cameraman who asked permission to take it, and then sent us a copy. Unfortunately, I seem to have no record of his name.

King of the Slot Machines

Daltons, a grassroots performance and event venue on the beach close to the pier, has just been granted more liberal alcohol licensing conditions, despite initial objections from the police. Though little remembered today, the venue carries the name of Oliver Dalton, once known as the King of the Slot Machines.

The venue, with a maximum capacity of 170, has secured an extended off-sales licence, allowing customers to leave the venue with alcoholic drinks (though this is only until 10.00 am in summer); and it is now allowed to stay open until 3:30 am at weekends. Among the conditions agreed to by Madeira Leisure (owned by Jeffrey and Jayne Iris Sanders) are: hosting at least seven arts-led live entertainment events a week, and a commitment to keep the sale of alcohol ancillary to operating as a grass roots music venue. Madeira Leisure also owns Brighton Zip, situated directly above Daltons.

Prior to agreement of the new licensing conditions, police feared there might be a potential for increased crime and disorder, and that the venue could evolve into a night club, and/or more of a bar than a restaurant with a carnival or DJ vibe. A rival business operator also expressed concern that allowing drinking at the bar after meals could be a ‘Trojan horse’ for converting the premises into an alcohol-led or ‘wet’ venue! Brighton and Hove News

The specific beach area there is known as Dalton’s Bastion, named after Oliver Dalton, born 1879. He was the eldest son of War Office clerk Oliver D’Alton and Eliza Powell. The family moved from South London to Brighton around 1888, but his father died the following year. His mother opened a boarding house, and he himself delivered newspapers. Aged only 13, he applied unsuccessfully for a position as a timekeeper on the Chain Pier. Instead, he became a naval cadet on a training ship moored on the Thames, but then took a clerical position in Woolwich. He enlisted as a trooper in the Imperial Yeomanry and served in South Africa during the closing stages of the second Boer War. 

Back in Brighton, Dalton obtained a licence to operate a number of beach huts and bathing machines on the foreshore to the east of what was then Palace Pier (now Brighton Pier), an area which had been re-designated to allow mixed bathing (having hitherto been only for ladies). Ever entrepreneurial, he travelled to the US to buy slot machines and pleasure rides which, once installed, not only made him rich but earned him recognition in the entertainment industry. He acquired an interest in the Palace Pier, the greyhound stadium and other seafront shops. Famous at home and abroad, Dalton was described by one foreign newspaper as The King of Slot Machines.

Unfortunately, with the start of the war, the pier and beaches were closed and Dalton was heading for financial ruin. Aged only 60, he took his own life in 1939.

My Brighton and Hove has more on the man, as well as additional notes by local history buffs.