Aled Jones

1 week ago | thescarboroughnews.co.uk | Aled Jones

The ornamental Victoria Rooms, a mock-Gothic building complete with a castled tower, were built in 1847 at the landward end of the North Pier, an area now occupied by the larger part of Garrison Square. The rooms were a hugely popular venue for theatre shows (the young Charlie Chaplin played there) and afternoon teas. They showed the first ‘animated pictures’, and for a time, housed an early amusement arcade.

2 weeks ago | thescarboroughnews.co.uk | Aled Jones

Bridlington’s Grand Pavilion first appeared in the Edwardian era and was home of many summer shows and local amateur productions. Built on the site of a fort at the northern end of Prince’s Parade, it was opened by the Lord Mayor of London in 1906. This largely wooden building, which was a superb example of the Moorish-style architecture much in vogue in those days, could seat around 2,000 people. It was typical of the pleasure palaces found on many seaside piers.

3 weeks ago | thescarboroughnews.co.uk | Aled Jones

A much different scene than the Quay today – our vintage postcard shows a late 18th Century view by Francis Nicholson (1753-1844), who is known as the Father of Watercolour Painting. It is a portrayal of Bridlington harbour looking west from the old North Pier. This busy port scene shows fishing craft, rowing boats and a stunning tall-masted ship, possibly a brigantine. The timber North Pier (foreground) has people angling and passing the time of day.

1 month ago | thescarboroughnews.co.uk | Aled Jones

This stunning image, painted in Victorian times, showcases a traditional setting for Bridlington Harbour harking back to a time when the piers were built of wood. The cobles and tall ships in the Bay add to the serene loveliness of this early scene. We can see in the painting that the sky details are quite dramatically overcast which gives increased ambience to the scene. The vintage artwork was reproduced as a picture-postcard in the early 1900s and shows how sentimental the Edwardian epoch was.

1 month ago | thescarboroughnews.co.uk | Aled Jones

This week’s vintage image is a steam-powered blast from the past. Dating to the 1890s, it shows the railway built to carry materials from the harbour to South Side, during construction of the Spa and sea wall. The huge wave-filled crater (middle, background) is where the Spa complex now stands. Nicknamed the Hollow, generations of Bridlington children were drawn to it as a play-area for model boats. The wooden sea defences (middle, right) are the site of the present Lifeboat Station.