Weymouth Pavilion
History
1900s
In 1900 Weymouth was becoming increasingly popular as a holiday resort for families who naturally wanted entertainment.
Many people felt that if Weymouth was to be a first-class resort, this new building was urgently required. Technically a Pavilion was a light ornamental building or pleasure house and Weymouth did not have one.
For the first time, ‘The Pavilion’ as it was to become was exercising the minds of Weymouth & Melcombe Regis Councillors!
By 1907 the decision was taken and a new site for the new pavilion was chosen at the southern end of The Esplanade, next to what was then known as ‘The Pile Pier’.
There were objections – the Ratepayers Association disliked the spending of Public Money!
The image of the left is the Pavilion in 1907 when a competition was launched to find a suitable design. Here’s one of the rejections!
1908
The grand opening took place on 21st December 1908 and the first performance two nights later – a Christmas Pantomime, Mother Goose.
The image on the right is the exterior of the original Pavilion.
1914 – 1939 During the war
The outbreak war in 1914 brought considerable changes to The Pavilion. The Town Council decided they should not be running it and leased it to Mr. Ernest Wheeler, a member of a prominent business family in the town.
His father had run the new theatre, The Theatre Royal, in St. Nicholas Street. Ernest continued leasing the building for the next 25 years.
In the 1930’s, possibly due to competition from The Alexandra Gardens Theatre (now amusements), the auditorium was adapted to show films. The Pavilion then become a popular cinema in town.
1939: The Second World War had an even greater effect than the first. The Pavilion was closed down as it was requisitioned by the military for war purposes. At one point the military authorities wanted to demolish the building! It escaped this fate only to be damaged during an air raid in April 1942 and was taken over by the Admiralty.
