Southend seafront attractions of the past remembered

THE LIGHTHOUSE HELTER SKELTER

“When by the sea you take your ease. And in the heat you swelter. You should enjoy the lovely breeze, upon the Helter Skelter!”

Long before the landmark red and white Helter Skelter at Adventure Island was thrilling crowds, Southend had its original Helter Skelter slide. It was known as the “Lighthouse Helter Skelter” and was located in East Parade, now called Eastern Esplanade. The jaunty little ditty above was used as part of its advertising antics to draw in the crowds, and it worked well for a while.

The 40ft tower with a spiral slide opened in 1906 and for a few years was one of the top attractions in the town. As well as being a hit with locals, tourists and daytrippers swarmed in their thousands to the seafront to pick up a mat, climb the stairs to the top, and slide down. 

It wasn’t all about fun, however; sliding down the contraption was actually thought of as sport and it was advertised as a way for young and old alike to enjoy “healthy and invigorating” exercise.

The lofty lighthouse tower in Southend was identical to ones that had recently opened in Blackpool and Earl’s Court. In fact, Lighthouse Helter Skelters began springing up all over seaside resorts across Britain in 1906 and 1907, such was their appeal.

Southend planning committee members had given the thumbs up to the World’s Manufacturing Company to build the Helter Skelter in 1906 but made stipulations it had to be extremely safe for patrons. By all account it was. It was built out of timber and covered with non-combustible paint, and there are no records of any accidents at the slide. 

Sadly, the same can’t be said of other Lighthouse Helter Skelters dotted around the country. Poor little Henry Smith, 10, from Cleethorpes, was sliding down the Lighthouse Helter Skelter in his hometown in May 1906 with some friends when one of the wooden canes on the slide floor became loose and  impaled him. The cane went right through his body, leaving him with horrific injuries. Henry was rushed to hospital but died a short while later. We can only image the horror of the memories that stayed with his friends, who escaped injury, as well as those watching at the time.

Perhaps that is why, when the Southend tower opened, it went to great lengths to assure revellers it was “completely free from danger”.

Shortly after it opened a Southend newspaper lauded the benefits of the attraction: “The Helter Skelter Lighthouse, situated near the Kursaal, has now become one of the most interesting and attractive sports in the town and is well worthy of the patron of both visitors and residents, affording endless amusement. It is also a healthy and invigorating exercise, and is free from all danger.

“It cannot fail to give the greatest pleasure to old or young.”

Despite its appeal the amusement didn’t seem to last that long, and by the time war broke out in 1914 there was no more mention of it. 

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THE WARWICK REVOLVING TOWER

In some ways the Revolving Tower was an early form of rollercoaster. 

The ride could be found in Southend back in the late 1890s. Although by today’s standards the steel scaffold ride was rather sober, perhaps even mundane, to Victorian daytrippers it was the height of adventure. 

The towering attraction was located on the seafront, next to where the Kursaal Park would later be built, and could take up to 150 passengers. 

They would cram into a saucer-shaped platform that encircled the tower, rising up slowly and gently. Those on board got an uninterrupted view of the Pier, the Thames estuary, and the Kent coast.

 But then one day in August 1899 the unthinkable happened – the ride broke and everyone got stuck 126ft at the top – for five hours. 

Some 30 passengers were stuck in mid-air in a Saturday night drama described at the time “a most unwelcome accompaniment of uncomfortable climatic conditions”. 

It was just after 6pm when the batch of passengers had been taken up. The top was reached without any problems, but on the way down the machine stopped dead. 

The engineer in charge of the ride at the base frantically began investigating and it became clear that on the previous journey the “car had descended a few inches too low”. This had caused the safety gear to malfunction. 
Engineers had to be called out from London to save the day. Richard Wood, the

managing director of the ride, was soon on the spot and did his best to help the grounded passengers.

A local newspaper journalist described the scene: “A dejected-looking party of persons craned their heads over the rails of the car and gazed down helplessly from aloft at a fast-gathering crowd of curious people who assembled at the base of the structure.” 

In a bid to relieve the tedium a pianist below the tower began belting out rousing tunes for the passengers captive in their seats 120ft above, while a steel ladder was erected to pass up refreshments.

 “We might as well be at the top of the Alps,” was the message being relayed by the poor group up above. 

Eventually a couple of brave lads decided to take their chances and made their way down the steel ladder. They were followed by a few plucky women, all who made it down safely. 

You’d think it couldn’t get any worse for the disgruntled passengers who, until now, were high but relatively dry. But then there was a sudden burst of fork lighting and a terrible storm erupted. 

Fortunately the passengers were protected by an awning above the ride, although many were absolutely terrified. After five hours of the saga, all remaining passengers were eventually winched down by a special rescue chair. 

Compensation was paid to each passenger, and they were checked over and given food and drink. Many had ruined their clothes, so they were given cash for replacement outfits. Rooms were found for the night for those who had travelled in by train. 

In their day, Warwick Revolving Towers were hugely popular. They began to shoot up in coastal towns in the mid-1890s. The first one to go up was in Scarborough. Southend had got its in 1898 and this was the first serious incident to befall the ride. 

However, earlier the same year a group of workmen had been badly injured while erecting a revolving tower at the seaside resort of Morecambe. The towers got their name after the ride’s inventor, Thomas Warwick. The design was based on a moving platform, powered by a mixture of steam and weights, then raised via a steel cable.

Later the towers were modified to allow for ‘flying boats’ to carry passengers in. 
When the company went bust in the early 1900s the towers began to disappear.

Southend’s didn’t last much longer and it was eventually knocked down.

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THE RINKERIES

The Rinkeries in Southend’s Warrior Square was another short-lived attraction. It was a roller skating mecca and opened in October 1909, at the peak of the Edwardian fascination with roller skating.

 The leisure activity was so popular during the late 19th and early 20th century that by 1910 there were 526 skating rinks in Britain. 

The Rinkeries adjoined the Hippodrome theatre and could seat up to 3,000 spectators.

It was hailed as one of the finest roller skating surfaces in the entire country due to its expansive maple floor.

It opened in October 1909 with a special exhibition of trick skating by famous roller skaters of the age.

The floor was made of concrete covered with hair felt and one inch thick maple wood.

The 11,550 square foot rink was big enough for 250 people to skate at any one time.

Getting the floor just right was taken so seriously that in the weeks before the venue opened, 30 men worked night and day to make sure it was perfect.

 There was a bandstand inside the venue where an orchestra could play rousing tunes for patrons to skate along to and there was electricity to provide lighting and warmth.

 The Rinkeries was open all day from Monday to Saturday, and it quickly became a favourite place for young people in particular to go, 

Alas, by 1911  the appeal of roller skating was wearing off as  people’s fascination with the recreation switched to the groundbreaking developments that were happening in the cinema industry. People wanted to see movies rather than going skating.

The leasehold to The Rinkeries was sold off in 1911. For a short time it hosted boxing but before long it went into liquidation.

The building was later turned into the Strand Cinema.