Weymouth’s Victorian bandstands.

As children we used to spend hours on what was the old pleasure pier…when it was a proper pier, and not just a sorry excuse for what is left of todays pier.

Near the end was a place where you could swim from. There were changing rooms, steps down to the water, a slide, diving boards, and all the local kids used to congregate there in the summer.

On a warm summer Sunday we would spread our towels on top of the toilet’s roof and lie down to listen to the town band who played there of an afternoon. Hundreds of holiday makers would be seated around in deck chairs or in nearby shelters listening to their music.

It got me to thinking how sad it was that Weymouth no longer had a proper usable pier to its name, and how town bands seem to be no longer the popular free entertainment they used to be in a typical seaside resort. What happened to all that wonderful live music that brightened the world of Victorian people, an entertainment that continued right up through to my childhood days?

During the Victorian era town bands would be all important. They were vital as entertainment for visitors.

We had numerous beautiful wrought iron band stands at one time or another along Weymouth’s promenade and in the gardens.

Every single one now gone!

One was created in the newly developed Greenhill gardens which was opened to the public in the late 1870’s.

But that was removed and situated along the northern end of the promenade, by Brunswick Terrace, because council had decided that all the entertainment was being held down the pier end of town, and councillors for the northern end declared their constituents were entitled to their fair share too!

Here the Victorians would stop and listen to the music of an afternoon or evening while on their constitutional.

The naval band of the ship impregnable 1899 3 — The naval band of the ship impregnable 1899

The entertainment was provided by the town band, or by military or naval bands that were stationed in Weymouth at the time. Some of these were conducted by extremely talented musicians, writing pieces especially for their public performances. Music played a major role in both the army and navy.

This first one was replaced by a the beautiful Pier Bandstand, a supposedly permanent fixture, an ornate art deco styled structure that was built in the 1930’s, with an open top theatre space.

It was a place where the bands played, people danced under moonlit skies,(maybe not quite so nice on wet and windy days though,) talent contests entertained and beauty queens were judged.

It was very popular with tourists and locals alike.

But after the rather wonky, if not charming legs that I have many fond memories of, were beginning to degrade, the seaward end was ceremoniously blown up before a large crowd on the 4th May 1986.

Sadly, all that remains is the much altered promenade end which now houses an amusement arcade and a restaurant!

Wander further down the promenade and you arrive at Alexandra gardens, opened May 1869…which was its heyday. Just that, proper gardens…with their own very grand and beautifully ornate bandstand lit by gas lamps.

Here, from Victorian times onwards, literally hundreds would come along to enjoy the party atmosphere while musical bands entertained them. Relaxing in their deck chairs listening to stirring notes of military marching songs from service bands or toe tapping to popular songs of the day played by a civilian band.

Of course, during that era, there were many a musical ensemble ready to entertain, for a few guineas of course. As the two seated in the middle are from the Salvation Army then presumably this was their band. Rather quaintly, on the back of the postcard Mr Rolfe writes to Miss B Hawkins of no1 Rocky Napp, Dorchester Road, enlightening her as to the order of the hymns to be played the coming Sunday.

An exert from the local paper gives a flavour of Victorian entertainment of the time.

1870 2^nd Apr

“THE ROYAL FUSILIERS BAND- This fine company of musicians delighted a large assembly of listeners in the new pleasure gardens on Thursday afternoon last. Among the items of a first-rate program was a composition of the bandmaster, Herr Van Heddegham, entitled “ Les Romains” which deservedly attracted a large share of attention, and displayed a great amount of constructive ability and original idea. It consists of five movements, the first of which is written in the frugal style, and is worked out with great skill. The subject commences with the basses, progressing with a highly artistic observance of the laws of fugue, and an able development of the principles of this class of composition. The second movement is an exquisite air for a soprano of a charmingly pathetic character, whilst the third, a Brarbure Militaire, presents a striking and agreeable contrast in it’s bold and animated strains. The fourth movement, “ The Invocation for Peace, “ is peculiarly distinguished by the solemn cast of melody which pervades it, and the concluding portion, “ The Orgie,” is a singularly clever piece of descriptive music, fully conveying the wild and bacchanalian idea of the title. It is almost superfluous to say that the band most perfectly expounded the intentions of their accomplished chief.”

It wasn’t always plain sailing for the town council getting hold of a band. And it wasn’t always local men who played. Often, when local musicians were considered being below parr, a band would be brought in from outside to entertain.

But they didn’t always get what they ordered!

1887 8 Jul WESTERN GAZETTE

THE SEASON BAND.

“The new band from Ramsgate was engaged to commence their duties on Monday, but have had their engagement cancelled. Mr. Hawthorne, of that place, was to furnish a band of 18, and when Messrs Allcock and Webb went as a deputation from the town to hear various bands before making a selection, they were in favour of one Mr. Hawthorne then had, consisting of 12 men, which were to be further increased by six additional musicians. When the band arrived in Weymouth on Saturday night, it was ascertained that not one of the men was the same as the deputation had heard, but a scratch band got up. Under these circumstances, a meeting of the Band Committee was called on Monday, and the engagement of the master cancelled. Great consideration is felt for the men who have been brought from such distance, and permission was granted them to play about the streets until Friday, so as to “raise the wind” to take them to Ramsgate. Another band will now be engaged-probably one from Richmond.”

Alexandra’s open air band stand soon went out of use. Weymouth’s leaders wanted an all weather venue for their entertainment, so a cunning cost cutting scheme was put in place. The original bandstand was covered in, turning it into a veritable glass house, which as you might suspect wasn’t problem free. In the heat of the sun it became somewhat too warm.

This one too reached the end of its life when in 1923 the old glass building became unsafe. A pane of glass having fallen out, hitting a tourist on the head, a decision was made that it was best dismantled and replaced by a new, bigger concert hall.

With an eye to saving money the original bandstand from the middle of the demolished building was moved up onto the Nothe gardens, replacing the old thatched one that had originally been built there, as seen below in the newly planted gardens of the late Victorian era.

Once again, this was a popular tourist destination to enjoy a bit lively music, as it had been for centuries. A site where locals and tourists shared what was was essentially a military space with soldiers stationed at the Nothe fort and Red Barracks, or in the summer visiting troops on their annual training camped atop the Nothe.

The final bandstand stood out at the end of what was once an elegant, curving pier, which brings us neatly back to where we first started our story of the Weymouth bandstands.

In 1886 nearly 2,000 people attended a concert, they danced the night away at the end of Weymouth’s stylish wooden pier. Its entire length being romantically lit for the comfort of guests by gas light, courtesy of the local Gas Company.

This bandstand was finally demolished in 1919 when it became too decayed to use any more.

The beautiful old wooden pier itself followed not long behind.

So here we are, 2014, an era when everyone is becoming more aware of their lost heritage and fighting to preserve its special places from the past. Traditional seaside Weymouth does not have a single bandstand to its name!

But at least we still have a cracking town band.

Playing during the 2012 Sailing Olympics at Weymouth town bridge.

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If you enjoy reading stories of Weymouth and Portland of old, including those of the many military bands who entertained townsfolk, why not buy a copy of my book Nothe Fort and Beyond. Enough gossip in there to fill your evenings.