The Central Bandstand, known as the Bandstand, in Herne Bay, Kent, England, was designed by H. Kempton Dyson in 1924, extended with an Art Deco frontage in 1932, and refurbished between 1998 and 1999. It is one of the coastal landmarks of the town. When first built, it was a popular venue for visiting military band concerts and for tea dances. Edwina Mountbatten spoke there on behalf of the Red Cross in 1939. In the 1920s and 1930s a red carpet would be laid across the road and up to the stage for the conductor of the brass band to walk from the Connaught Hotel which was directly opposite the Bandstand.
Location and construction The Central Bandstand with its 1932 frontage has been described as an Art Deco landmark, and one of the first reinforced concrete structures in the UK.Herne Bay Gazette 6 May 1999: Art deco landmark will be Herne Bay's pride, by Dianne Stingemore It straddles the beach and Central Parade just east of the Clock Tower. The back or seaward half, built in 1924, was originally supported above the beach on concrete pillars sheathed in cast iron, so that the stage was level with the main thoroughfare.Herne Bay Times 8 March 2001: Look back: battle of the bandstands was a fight against changing tastes, by Harold Gough The tide used to go in and out under the building until at least the 1950s. During World War II when the Pier was out of bounds, anglers were permitted to fish from the rooftop balcony. As of 2013 the beach has risen so that the piers are no longer visible and the sea has receded away from the Bandstand.
It was first called the New Bandstand, and then the Central Bandstand, to differentiate it from other bandstands in Herne Bay, especially the bandstand which stood on the roof of the King's Hall and has since been demolished. The north or seaward side of the Central Bandstand was built in 1924, with alterations in 1931. The original architect was Herbert Kempton Dyson, M.I.Struct.E (1880–1944), who was a founder member of the Concrete Institute, and specialised in reinforced concrete structures.Herne Bay Gazette 26 February 1998, p.8: Remember when? (The newspaper's source is John Hawkins, "Herne Bay in Old Photographs", Sutton Publishing Ltd, ) The 1924 section has two outside seaward-facing balconies with space for deckchairs, including a cantilevered roof for the lower deck and for covering the stage inside. Metal, glazed screens at the east and west sides of the building crossed the promenade, and could be moved to protect the audience from wind, or retracted into the wings to allow promenaders to cross when no band was playing. The seating area was a railed-off section of the promenade, and the seating on the roof above the stage included two copper-covered domes, plus two domes which doubled as refreshment kiosks. The roof is now inaccessible for safety reasons. By the late 1920s the audience area in front of the stage had extended across Tower Gardens to the edge of the footpath and road.Herne Bay Gazette 11 July 1996: Remember When?
The frontage, built of steel, cast iron, glass and teak and leaving the centre roofless, was built in 1932 at a cost of £3,100 to accommodate up to 1,000 people and was opened by the Royal Artillery Band. Contemporary drawings indicate that plans were under consideration to roof over the whole building, but that never happened.
Damage, closure and restoration The structure was damaged in the gale, heavy seas and North Sea flood of 1953 and became weaker during ensuing years. By the 1970s it had fallen into disuse.Herne Bay Gazette 24 December 2002, p.10: Remember When: Number's up for the bandstand By 1974 the piles over the beach were corroded, and this led to the northern half of the interior being closed to the public in 1975.Herne Bay Times or Gazette 20 December 1974: Repairs too expensive: bandstand to go?Herne Bay Times or Gazette 17 February 1975: Unsafe bandstand will be fenced In 1977 it had become dangerous to walk beneath the glass awning inside the building, and stones in rough seas had smashed the windows at the back; some window frames had come away. Concrete and iron pillars in the 1924 section had split, guttering had rusted and there was smashed glass on the floor, rotten woodwork and detached light-bulb holders.Herne Bay Times or Gazette, 11 February 1977: Why the band can't play on The building had a "keep clear, dangerous structure" notice on it.Herne Bay Gazette 30 January 2003: Remember when? Bandstand's future in doubt The assistant city architect Jed Baker said there had been insufficient funds for regular surveys and maintenance.Herne Bay Times 12 November 1976: Stop our assets going down drain Councillor Arthur Porter wanted to demolish the building but Cllr Dick Peard and 13 others wanted it restored.Herne Bay Times 25 February 1977: Protest mounts over closure of bandstand
Clipperview Ltd was granted a 20-year lease of the building in early 1987 and successfully provided entertainment for the summer, then in October the Great storm of 1987 damaged the roof. Clipperview was obliged to undertake restorations in 1988 at a cost of £25,000. The kitchen and restaurant were improved, and heating installed in the lavatories.Herne Bay Gazette 8 January 1988: It's business as usual after all However the restorations were not completed, and in 1990 the Council took legal action. The reinforced concrete had corroded and cracked with sections working loose, cast-iron work and steel beams were corroded and the building was vandalised; the council could undertake only minor remedial work during the legal dispute. Between 1992 and 1998 the Bandstand was empty, in need of repair and closed to the public. In 1995 the Council briefly lost possession of the Bandstand due to a Court dispute concerning Clipperview. The building was formally returned to the town in August of that year and has since remained under control of the council.Herne Bay Times 10 August 1995: Bandstand battle endsHerne Bay Gazette, p.5, 2 November 1995: Bulldozers await for our once-glorious bandstand, by Neil Lampert
On 23 September 1994 and in November 1995, City of Canterbury councillors met to decide whether to demolish the whole building at a cost of £275,000, retain just the original 1924 seaward side or refurbish the whole building at £300,000 plus future maintenance costs.Herne Bay Times 20 March 2008, p.10: Is final curtain coming down on bandstand?Herne Bay Times 13 July 1995: New threat to the bandstand The walls, roof, floors, steelwork, railings and turrets were in need of repair; then new glazed windows, redecoration and a new sea wall would be required.
The Green Party at Herne Bay supported a renovation scheme. English Heritage said: "The bandstand is critical to Herne Bay, being a prominent focal point . . .It is of immense historic importance to the history of Herne Bay . . . there should be a presumption in favour of retaining unlisted buildings which make a positive contribution to the character of a conservation area." English Heritage suggested that the Secretary of State would object to the demolition, and that there was a good chance of a successful application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for assistance with repairs. A readers' opinion poll of the Herne Bay Gazette supported retention and restoration of the building, and local Liberal Democrats organised a petition calling for full restoration.Herne Bay Gazette 9 November 1995: Protestors fight to preserve bandstand, by Dianne Singemore A public exhibition of the sorry state of the building and of demolition and repair options took place at the Bandstand; the poll associated with this received a strong public response in favour of renovation.Herne Bay Gazette 9 November 1995, reprinted 10 November 2005 as "10 Years" article The Council agreed to renovate the building, but work was delayed from 1996 due to budget cuts.Herne Bay Gazette 25 January 1996: Bandstand restoration must wait for a year In 1997 Whitbread considered investing £1 million to convert the building to a pub-restaurant, then suddenly withdrew from the scheme.Herne Bay Gazette 18 December 1997: Brewers bottle out of scheme, Whitbread drops $1m bandstand conversion The building was refurbished between 1998 and May 1999 with the help of £340,000 lottery money awarded in 1997, although by 1998 the estimated total cost had risen to £962,000 due to "considerable unforeseen damage".Herne Bay Gazette 30 November 1995 p1Herne Bay Gazette 15 July 1999: Probe bandstand overspend, says arcade owner
During renovation by W.W. Martin of Ramsgate, the original cast-iron panels were shotblasted and the teak window frames dipped and stripped. New public lavatories were installed. Interior glass screens could not be saved but were reproduced in clear and green glass. Side doors were opened to allow the seafront promenade to continue through the open-air centre of the building. The 1924 stage area was restored to original condition with screened windows looking out to sea, and the wooden cupolas rebuilt with additional copper panels on top. The building was reopened for entertainment on 3 July 1999, followed by the official opening on 8 October.Herne Bay Times: After years of neglect, Herne Bay's bandstand plays on . . ., 7 October 1999, pp.16–17
A condition of the 1997 lottery funding was that the building would be used for non-commercial activity, but by 2008 the council was offering it for rent.Herne Bay Times (illegible date 13 Mar?) 2008, p.1, Seafront pavilion for rent, by Natalie Turner
History
Early days from 1920s to World War II
The northern section was opened in April 1924 by Lord Morris (1859–1935), member of the House of Lords and previous premier of Newfoundland.Herne Bay Times 25 February 1977: In and around Herne Bay The southern frontage was opened on a Sunday shortly before Easter, 1932 by the High Sheriff of Kent Major Sir John Theodore Prestige. Callender's Cableworks Band (1898–1961)Brass Band Results: Callenders Cable Works Band – amateur band employed by the Erith Works of the Callender Cable & Construction Co.Ltd performed at the ceremony.Herne Bay Times or Gazette 19 March 1932: Central Bandstand. High Sheriff of Kent to visit Herne Bay. Next Sunday's ceremony Before the Bandstand was built, bands such as the 6th Dragoon Guards would give concerts around the flagstaff which is situated just to the west of the present bandstand. When first built, the Central Bandstand consisted only of what is now the north or seaward side, with stage, turreted side wings and an outdoor area to the north for the audience in deck chairs; the area was available for deck chairs until the 1970s. Visiting bands and school bands played there.Herne Bay Times 23 December 2008 page 5 For example, the Royal Warwickshire Band visited in 1925. In those days a red carpet would be laid for the conductor to walk across from the Connaught Hotel which was and is, as of 2013, directly opposite the Bandstand. The Reverend Daubeney at Herne used to arrange for his sermons to finish in time to allow the congregation to catch the bus to Herne Bay for the evening Bandstand concert.Herne Bay Times 10 July 1999 p10 This venue was so popular in 1927 that queues could stretch as far as the Pier, and crowds were often turned away.Herne Bay Times 29 January 2009: "The Way We Were: Roll up, rollup for the magical musical tour" by James Scott