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430:, the House that Jack Built, the Joy Wheel, the Social Whirl, the Great Aerial Flight, the Virginia Reel, Hall of Laughter and the Fun House. A river cave ride named Ye Olde Mill featured floating boats which travelled through a tunnel with scenery such as a Swiss valley, an Indian jungle and a fairy castle. From 1909 to 1974 a figure 8
531:
In June 2011, architecture firm ADP won a commission to regenerate the
Spanish City with a plan that included a 50-bed, four-star boutique hotel, 20 apartments, a 1950s diner and a pleasure garden. The completion date was announced as 2014, but work was halted in 2013 because of a lack of funds. The
338:
The dome was erected in 1910. The building was formally opened by Robert Mason, chair of the local council, on the evening of
Saturday, 14 May 1910, as The Spanish City and Whitley Bay Pleasure Gardens. There were shops and cafes inside, a roof garden, and the Empress Theatre, with seating for 1,400
310:
The
Spanish City faces the sea, with a 180 ft-long front and a depth of 275 ft. The dome rises to 75 ft above the foundation and has a diameter of 50 ft, supported on 46-ft-high concrete columns. It is made of a reinforced-concrete shell, five inches thick, which is supported by
334:
Charles
Elderton of the Hebburn Theatre Royal originally established an amusements arcade and dance hall on the site. His Toreadors Concert Party had entertained visitors with an open-air theatre in Whitley Park every summer since 1907, with the awnings decorated in the Spanish style. To provide a
302:", which from then on was played every morning when it opened. By the late 1990s the building had fallen into disrepair, and in the early 2000s it was closed to the public. A regeneration project was announced in 2011. The building reopened as a dining and leisure centre at the end of July 2018.
282:
Located near the seafront, the
Spanish City has a 180 ft-long (54.8 m) Renaissance-style frontage and became known for its distinctive dome, now a Grade II listed building. There are towers on either side of the entrance, each of which carries a half-life-size female
397:
became the last person to perform in the original
Spanish City dome, before developers entered the building on 28 July 2014. Cross performed magic stunts with support from Doctor Diablo. There was a fire show outside on the piazza by a local performer, Charlie Burns.
339:
on the floor and 400 on the balcony. The theatre was converted to the
Empress Ballroom in 1920, and a first floor was inserted into the dome, which became known as the Rotunda. In 1979 the Rotunda was converted into the Starlight Rooms for live entertainment.
593:, the Spanish City appears several times in the episode "Protected" (Season 4, Episode 2, 2014). In particular, Vera mentions the Spanish City to Joe regarding a memory from her childhood at the end of the episode.
385:
talked about their memories of the
Spanish City. Knopfler, who was born in Glasgow but grew up in Blyth, Northumberland, a few miles from the Spanish City, said it was the first place he had ever heard really loud
599:
318:, Charles T. Marshall, and James Cackett of Cackett and Burns Dick. J. Coulson was a design consultant and L. G. Mouchel were structural consultants. Davidson and Miller were the contractors.
414:
In 1909 the
Whitley Pleasure Gardens Company Ltd. was formed and built up a large fairground. The funfair was extremely popular, with fairground rides and amusements, including a "corkscrew"
1091:
576:, set in the fictional north-east town of Setton, home to an amusement park called the Spanish City. The Spanish City also features in the video that accompanied
458:
By the mid-1990s the
Pleasure Gardens had fallen into disrepair and was closed in 1998. In December 1998 the demolition of the fairground was announced.
659:
623:
326:
1081:
390:. Sting, born near Newcastle, spent his afternoons and evenings in the Spanish City when he should have been studying for his A levels.
611:
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103:
1008:
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275:, it opened in 1910 as a concert hall, restaurant, roof garden and tearoom. A ballroom was added in 1920 and later a permanent
979:
853:
635:
741:
Stratton, Michael (1999). "New Materials for a New Age: Steel and concrete construction in the north of England, 1860–1939".
691:
551:", which became the fairground's unofficial theme song, played every morning when it opened. The town mentioned in the song,
793:
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20:
346:
during a caretakers' strike in the 1980s, and later became a live music venue, playing host to several bands, including
96:
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343:
826:"Whitley Bay's Spanish City opens at last at—and here is how the completed project looks inside & out"
487:
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37:
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In June 1914 a new ride, named the Rainbow Pleasure Wheel joined the fair. It was imported from the
560:
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315:
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287:
figure in copper, one holding cymbals, the other a tambourine. The building's architects were
920:
725:
900:"Spanish City Remembered: Enjoy these nostalgic pictures from our archive and send us yours"
589:
445:
382:
16:
Permanent funfair in Whitley Bay, a seaside town in North Tyneside, Tyne & Wear, England
1009:"Spanish City in Whitley Bay finally has an opening date after extensive restoration work"
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934:"Magic, escapology and comedy to bring down curtain at iconic Spanish City Dome"
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841:"Statues returned to Spanish City in Whitley Bay", BBC News Tyne & Wear,
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105:
573:
452:
423:
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427:
268:
89:
728:, citing Cackett, J. T. Dick, B. (1911). "Spanish City, Whitley Bay".
325:
995:
276:
1055:
243:
980:"Whitley Bay's Spanish City saved with £3.7m cash injection"
422:
in Yorkshire from 1983 to 2011, then at Luna Park in France—
774:. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, pp. 218, 319.
770:
Usherwood, Paul; Beach, Jeremy; Morris, Catherine (2000).
692:"Spanish City: ADP to Put the Heart Back into Whitley Bay"
688:"Spanish City: Bringing a National Treasure Back to Life"
996:"A New Beginning for the North East's Most Iconic Venue"
810:"Exhibition marks Whitley Bay's Spanish City centenary"
536:
in November 2013. The building reopened in July 2018.
335:
permanent fixture, he founded Whitley Amusements Ltd.
311:
12 (10 in x 18 in) internal ribs.
856:, North Tyneside Council. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
854:"A Miniature Earl's Court—Toreadors and Fairgrounds"
820:
818:
843:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-11071389
393:On Sunday, 27 July 2014, Newcastle-based performer
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794:"Constructive criticism: the week in architecture"
330:One of the building's two female figures in copper
298:mentioned the Spanish City in their 1980 single, "
919:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.
889:, North Tyneside Libraries, accessed 2 July 2011.
950:"Step Back In Time: The History of Spanish City"
766:
764:
464:
342:The dome was used as a classroom for pupils of
547:refer to the Spanish City in their 1980 song "
271:. Erected as a smaller version of Blackpool's
8:
965:"Tunnel of Love", DireStraitsVEVO, YouTube,
722:Civil Engineering Heritage: Northern England
665:Spanish City Panorama 2019, Whitley Bay, UK.
532:project received a grant of £3.7m from the
441:reaching top speeds of around 40 mph.
1092:Grade II listed buildings in Tyne and Wear
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291:, Charles T. Marshall and James Cackett.
405:
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772:Public sculpture of North-East England
410:Pleasure Gardens funfair, 1960s or 70s
352:
683:
681:
679:
566:Other pop-culture references include
7:
563:) along the coast from Whitley Bay.
469:these carousels and carnival arcades
978:Warburton, Dan (26 November 2013).
559:on the train line (now part of the
434:could be found at the fair ground.
1062:"Spanish City in Whitley Bay 1967"
792:Glancey, Jonathan (10 June 2011).
724:. London: Thomas Telford, p.
694:, press release, ADP, 8 June 2011.
605:View from the dome, September 2011
255:is a dining and leisure centre in
170:North Tyneside Council (June 2011)
14:
824:Oldfield, Lesley (21 July 2018).
720:Rennison, Robert William (1996).
505:And girl it looks so pretty to me
756:"Duncan's amusements demolished"
754:Hedley, Jeanette (12 May 2006).
730:Ferro Concrete: A Monthly Review
658:
646:
634:
622:
610:
598:
444:The Spanish City Dome housed an
371:filmed by Frank and Norah Wardle
361:
162:Whitley Bay Pleasure Gardens Ltd
36:
932:Marsh, Michael (25 July 2014).
871:"A History of the Spanish City"
220:
1007:Sharma, Sonia (28 June 2018).
745:, 21 (pp. 5–24), p. 20ff.
1:
812:, BBC News, 9 September 2010.
743:Industrial Archaeology Review
467:And now I'm searching through
21:Spanish City (disambiguation)
898:Casey, Alison (7 May 2015).
402:Whitley Bay Pleasure Gardens
55:Whitley Bay Pleasure Gardens
509:Like the Spanish City to me
1113:
1082:Amusement parks in England
18:
873:, local history project,
758:, North Tyneside Council.
587:In the British TV series
360:
242:
47:
35:
482:And any shooting gallery
377:Dire Straits songwriter
183:180 ft long, 275 ft deep
877:, accessed 1 July 2011.
484:where promises are made
344:Whitley Bay High School
188:Design and construction
42:Inside the Spanish City
1060:Wardle, Frank Wilson.
732:, 2, pp. 168–175.
514:
411:
331:
196:Cackett and Burns Dick
534:Heritage Lottery Fund
409:
329:
119:55.047616°N 1.44747°W
998:, Kymel Trading Ltd.
471:Searching everywhere
367:"Spanish City, 1967"
314:The architects were
259:, a seaside town in
19:For other uses, see
572:(2002), a novel by
561:Tyne and Wear Metro
511:When we were kids.
212:Davidson and Miller
201:Structural engineer
124:55.047616; -1.44747
115: /
60:General information
887:"Empress ballroom"
540:In popular culture
507:Like it always did
492:Rockaway, Rockaway
412:
332:
381:and the musician
375:
374:
316:Robert Burns Dick
289:Robert Burns Dick
249:
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193:Architecture firm
52:Alternative names
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1056:Official website
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1050:Further reading
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265:Tyne & Wear
233:Robertson Group
230:Renovating firm
217:Renovating team
209:Main contractor
151:Renovation cost
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418:—which was at
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273:Pleasure Beach
261:North Tyneside
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798:The Guardian
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578:Tina Cousins
569:Spanish City
567:
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545:Dire Straits
543:
530:
527:Regeneration
519:Dire Straits
515:
475:Steeplechase
466:
457:
448:and later a
443:
436:
420:Flamingoland
413:
392:
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341:
337:
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313:
309:
306:Architecture
296:Dire Straits
293:
285:bacchanalian
281:
253:Spanish City
252:
250:
244:Spanish City
222:Architect(s)
204:L.G. Mouchel
80:Watts Road,
25:
1097:Whitley Bay
1087:Fairgrounds
553:Cullercoats
500:Whitley Bay
496:Cullercoats
450:Laser Quest
424:ghost train
395:Chris Cross
257:Whitley Bay
138:14 May 1910
122: /
97:Coordinates
82:Whitley Bay
1076:Categories
671:References
584:" (1998).
490:, Rockaway
175:Dimensions
107:55°02′51″N
72:(the dome)
574:Sarah May
479:Palisades
453:Laser Tag
350:in 2001.
294:The band
146:2011–2018
143:Renovated
110:1°26′51″W
68:Grade II
967:00:04:51
580:' song "
517: —
488:Rockaway
428:waltzers
180:Diameter
1066:YouTube
1030:YouTube
875:YouTube
690:, ADP;
555:, is a
455:arena.
432:railway
322:History
277:funfair
269:England
238:Website
90:England
77:Address
1026:"Pray"
521:, 1980
159:Client
135:Opened
65:Status
494:From
473:from
383:Sting
167:Owner
1042:IMDB
590:Vera
582:Pray
557:stop
498:and
426:and
251:The
154:£10m
486:To
477:to
348:Ash
225:ADP
1078::
1064:,
1028:,
1011:,
982:,
952:,
936:,
921:91
902:,
861:^
828:,
817:^
796:,
779:^
763:^
726:41
699:^
678:^
279:.
267:,
263:,
88:,
84:,
1068:.
1032:.
1015:.
986:.
969:.
956:.
940:.
923:.
906:.
832:.
800:.
369:,
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
