The Palace 2 – Tourism Boom

Here you are again, back for more enthralling facts about everyday Manx history. Well, you’ve got good taste!

Last time we started the first of our series about the history of the Palace complex. The damp place. Home of overpriced popcorn. Cinema of the ages. And why it does, in fact, have a not so sarcastic history behind those… er… (crumbling?) walls.

We left off at the beginning of the Manx tourism boom. Think of late 1800-early-1900s, with hoards of people on the beach having the time of their lives donning stripey, layered swimsuits.

Central promenade and bathing machines, c. 1890. iMuseum:

It was in this scene that John Brown – who basically started the whole Palace thing – was only just beginning on his quest to transform the island into a touristy haven.

The Palace Entertainment Complex (opened 1889) was ever changing and growing as more tourists came to the island. Initially starting with the Ballroom Pavillion, the Opera House followed and was opened in 1893, offering high-class Variety entertainment. The remnants of the Opera House take the form of the cinema we know and love today.

Lord and Lady Raglan at the Palace Opera House, 1913. iMuseum:

It was not all fair sailing, however. In 1902, catastrophe hit the booming business of the Palace. One September night, a fire broke out in the north end of the Ballroom. Before it could be extinguished, about half of the roof had been destroyed.

Colourised image of the Palace Ballroom and Pavillion before the 1902 fire.
Retrieved from Dave Evans, FaceBook

Following the fire, the directors decided to change the character of the Ballroom in its reconstruction. It was, quite literally, to mimic the fabled Phoenix rising from the ashes of the old railway station-like building – transforming into a beautiful structure decorated with creams, pinks, and gold. Ornate plaster decorations framed the room with upholstered balconies, capable of accommodating several thousand people.

The Palace Ballroom following the 1902 fire and its reconstruction, c. 1904. iMuseum

The newly refurbished Palace flaunted the largest dancehall in Europe (it was thought), with the parquet floor brilliantly lit with hundreds of electric lights and covered with a panelled ceiling with elaborate paintings depicting mythological subjects – as described in The Isle of Man Times of July 16, 1921.

Once back on track, in 1909, to add to the existing Ballroom and Opera Theatre, another building was created for a roller skating rink.

Postcard showing the roller skating building opened in 1909.
Retrieved from Dave Evans, FaceBook

Unfortunately, the roller rink was short-lived – by 1913, it was knocked down and replaced by the Palace Coliseum. This was considered to be one of the greatest additional features to the complex, partly because it allowed so many more visitors to enjoy entertainment as the Opera House was consistently reaching full capacity.

Variety bill advertising attractions at ‘The Palace and Coliseum, Manxland’s Premier amusement resort’, summer season 1936.

But what was the Coliseum – I had to ask myself – because I’m fairly certain it wasn’t anything like the one they have in Rome!

The word itself quite literally means a ‘gigantic building’ – which the Coliseum most definitely was, seating up to 3,500 people. Essentially, it had the same function as the Opera House in providing Variety entertainment, and they were common at the time. Its panache, however, could not be denied – as explained by The Isle of Man Times in 1921:

“…its luxurious seating…costly furnishing…chaste decoration, and perfect ventilation, render it an ideal summer theatre… Two spacious and elegant cafe lounges…and the convenience of the audience is largely augmented by the covered way which, by means of a bridge, provides a communication between the grand Pavilion and the Coliseum.”

The Palace Coliseum.
Retrieved from Dave Evans, FaceBook

The expansion to the Palace was well-timed to cater for the masses. The Coliseum was opened the same year the island saw a staggering 617,000 tourists flock its shores. Vesta Tilley, one of the most renowned entertainers of the day (AKA the ‘London Idol’), opened the Coliseum. This was quite the honour considering her high status in the entertainment world – kudos to the Palace!

Postcard print of Vesta Tilley, 1905.
National Portrait Gallery:

Alas, tragedy struck the Palace once more when another fire ripped through the Complex on July 13, 1920. The destruction of the Palace left on the site a ‘mountain of debris’, ‘myriads of broken bricks’, ‘tottering walls’, ‘charred timbers’, and ‘indescribable rubbish’. But, after just one year, the directors were preparing to reopen what was being called at the time ‘The White Palace’ – the same features on the Complex with various improvements throughout.

Going into the 1900s, the Palace Complex undeniably had a large impact on encouraging Manx tourism and it thrived in the first of its heydays, as ‘Manxland’s Premier Amusement Resort’. It did well against seaside holiday rivals, such as Blackpool – The Palace had a much larger ballroom, and the Coliseum Theatre seated 2,000 more people than at Blackpool’s main entertainment complex, the Winter Gardens.

The Palace entertainment complex entrance, c. 1906. iMuseum

Come back for part three of this story, where we will find out how the Palace Complex transformed once more after World War Two – with many famous acts Rolling onto the scene and a very famous actor coming From (Scotland) with Love to open the Palace Casino.