History
The New Brighton tower, as a visitor attraction, had a short, chequered existence. After six workmen were killed and another seriously injured during its construction, a young man jumped to his death from its balcony shortly after the tower's opening. In 1914, it was closed to the public following the outbreak of the First World War. With closure, lack of maintenance caused the steel superstructure to rust. The tower was eventually taken down between 1919 and 1921.
Like the Blackpool Tower an entrance fee was charged for admission to all of the activities in the complex and the theate/ ballroom that was the base of the Tower. In 1897 Granville Bantock a young conductor was appointed and given a full orchestra to instruct. It was probable that the proprietors intended that he give mainly light music entertainments for the passing through public. However, finding himself in command of a full orchestra for free, the programme content did not have to cater for popular tastes and he embarked on advanced concerts of the new composers, as well as his own works. He pioneered the works of Joseph Holbrooke, Frederic Hymen Cowen, Edward German, Hubert Parry, Charles Villiers Stanford, Corder and others, frequently devoting whole concerts to a single composer. He was also conductor of the Liverpool Orchestral Society with which he premiered Delius's Brigg Fair on 18 January 1908. Perhaps most importantly he premiered in the UK works of Richard Strauss and Jean Sibelius, the latter dedicated his third symphony to him. The Tower therefore has an important footnote in national music appreciation.
Despite the tower's removal, its ballroom continued to be used for almost the next 50 years. Many famous acts visited the New Brighton venue including Little Richard and The Beatles. In 1969, the building was destroyed by fire.
In the 1970s, the area where New Brighton Tower once stood was redeveloped as River View Park.
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