Winter Gardens and the lost Royal Victoria Pier in Ventnor

Today we paid a visit to the reopened Ventnor Winter Gardens. We were looking forward to this because my wife and I both love a bit of history, especially from our island.
Soon came the disappointment: there was no way of visiting the upper floors. Nothing is done to make it accessible for disabled people.

We made our mood noticed to the Events Manager of the venue and she was very understanding, took her time to give us a personal lecture about the art deco building and it's history.
She also told us a lot about the pier that once was here: the Royal Victoria Pier. I found some pictures on the net: it must have been a remarkable thing.

The Winter Gardens itself had been a venue where the biggest names in pop and jazz history have performed. We have been given a list of the bands that once played here:
Moody Blues, Pretty Things, The Who, Zombies, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, The Tremeloes, Mr.Acker Bilk, Kenny Ball, Chris Barber and also forgotten bands like The Scapegoats, Nashville Teens, Heinz and the Wild Ones.

For some time the band in residence was Davy Jones and The Lower Third. It was the new band of Davy Jones, before that he was accompanied by the Manish Boys, but started with the King Bees.
The picture shows the band posing in an arty way, certainly instigated by Davy Jones himself.
A few months after this, he changed his name into David Bowie and went solo.

For some time in the early 80s the Winter Gardens had a skating rink, constructed of plastic and according to our lecturer not very well to skate on. It later became useful as the practicing room for a young musician, Mark King and his band. Later they became world famous as Level 42.

The pier burned down in 1987, after years of discussion the remains were removed in 1993. The Winter Gardens went through some troubled years. Was even sold for £1 in a very deplorable state.
But now it's restored in it's full glory. In it's restaurant you can have nice drinks and food.
Check the website: https://theventnorwintergardens.com/
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