Eastbourne UK bandstand and pleasure pier

entertainment facilities on Eastbourne Pier

Like other coastal towns, Eastbourne began to grow rapidly as the medicinal and leisure benefits of sea air and sea bathing became well known. Locals scrambled to provide a wide variety of facilities and amusements for the thousands who flocked to Eastbourne each summer. My favourite would have been Devonshire Park which was first designed in 1874 with terraces, walks and a cricket ground. As the money flowed in, the owners added tennis courts and a roller skating rink. Very sensibly they located Devonshire Park next to the baths, the Winter Gardens and the Theatre. 

In this post, I am interested in publicly funded facilities. There were many pleasure piers built around the coastal resort towns of Britain, and then in other countries. The earliest was probably Ryde’s on the Isle of Wight (1813) although the majority did not start until the late C19th. Early pleasure piers were made of wood; iron structures only became more popular with the construction in 1855 of Margate Jetty. The National Piers Society suggests that only 55 seaside piers survive today in England and Wales, the oldest extant iron pier being in Southport (1860).

Eastbourne's pier was designed by Eugenius Birch in 1865 and built by the Eastbourne Pier Company for £15,000. Originally a landing stage for steamers, it soon became a "pleasure pier" because it enabled the gentry to walk over the water and to participate in the social life there.

Spouse and I loved the pier when we first lived in Britain. But decades later it was starting to look just a little bit old fashioned. The only innovation that I remember was The Victorian Tea Rooms which  specialised in Sussex Cream Tea and attractive table settings.

Agatha Christie's story, The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan, was set in Brighton but partially filmed in Eastbourne. Just as well the film was finished in 1993. Firstly the owners put Eastbourne Pier up for sale in 2009; included were Victorian tea rooms, an amusement arcade, bars and a nightclub. Secondly Eastbourne Pier experienced a fire in July 2014 that burned through a large amount of the central domed building. The two-thirds of the 305-metre pier that were not destroyed ...were quickly reopened.

Even more popular than pleasure piers, re leisure time activities, were the bandstands built in the UK, Australia and other countries in the world. Presumably they too resulted from changing social life in late Victorian & Edwardian years.

Normally bandstands were built in the centre of a public park, surrounded by lawns & gardens where families strolled or sat on portable chairs. The old practice of military bands marching through built up areas in town, surrounded by scruffy children and hangers-on, was no longer acceptable.

Each coastal town sought to unify the pleasure activities in the centre of the town’s beach area. Many towns liked to choose from amusement arcades, theatres, restaurants, tea rooms, striped deck chairs, slot machines, lunar park rides, fishing sites, fairground stalls and walking areas. What was less common was a bandstand being located right next to a beach, very close to that coastal town’s pleasure pier.

Eastbourne bandstand, pleasure pier and beach

This East Sussex town had its bandstand by 1893, standing on cast iron stilts right on the seafront. Decades later, as a part of the town’s plan to improve its resort facilities, a newer Eastbourne Band stand went up. The 2nd bandstand, built in 1935, had a rather special semi-circular design, Orientalist blue domed roof and silver finial. Still today, see its main arena with middle and upper balconies seating 3,500 people.

Ten thousand people attended the three concerts given in that special summer of 1935.

For many years Eastbourne bandstand ran a daily programme of military bands, at least until the end of each summer season. But new audiences don’t necessarily love what their grandparents loved. So in 2010, the 75th anniversary of the new bandstand, big band nights, rock 'n' roll and Last Night of the Proms were added to the programme. The concert music ended triumphantly with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture, accompanied by a spectacular firework display.

Clearly the organisers are making the programme more relevant for modern audiences and the bandstand is having a new lease on life. Some 150 concerts are now held per year in Eastbourne (pop 90,000).

Eastbourne bandstand and concert

One last thought that I have raised before - a connection between bandstands and the Titanic. See a commemorative plaque at the rear of the original Eastbourne bandstand, in memory of a local  bands-man who was playing on the Titanic when it sank in April 1912. That plaque was transferred to the newer, 1935 bandstand.

You may enjoy Eastbourne History Tour by Kevin Gordon, Amberley Publishing, 2019.

fine Coimbra University Library, Portugal

facade of Joanine Library, University of Coimbra

established 1717

Wiki

One of the primary functions of libraries was to protect books from the physical effects of climate, theft, vandalism, and bugs. And the role of library historians is about art history, buildings, science, technology, culture, religion and education. Thank you Dr J Campbell.

I chose the Biblioteca Joanina, a baroque library in Coimbra University Portugal, because it was considered one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. It was named to honour the founder, Portugal’s King João V aka John V, who began building in 1717 until 1728. This remarkable library of early C18th Europe was registered as a National Monument. The Coimbra Uni Library was the best example of Portuguese Baroque and one of the richest European libraries. The Library functioned as the Uni Library until mid C20th.

King John V's portrait

wiki

The Noble Floor consisted of 3 halls filled with shelves & verandas richly ornamented with carvings & gold paintings. Note the black background in 1st hall, red background in 2nd hall and green background in 3rd hall. The 3 halls were connected by archways decorated with crests while the wooden lining was painted to resemble marble and the ceiling figures were carefully chosen. The walls were lined with 2 storeys of gilded multi-coloured oak shelves and 6 embossed tables made from precious, tropical woods were placed in the halls.

The Middle Floor supported the guards who watched over the academic prison (closed 1834) and operated as a deposit for the books read on the Noble Floor. Prior to its inclusion in the Uni's tourist route (Nov 2010), this space was used to preserve ancient books: cleaning, restoration & cataloguing. In C19th, the floor may have also have been used as home for the academic community. Initially there was no easy access between the intermediate and the noble floors because the 2 floors of the Library were built late in C19th. Little effort was taken to create a rich space on this floor; the finishings were simple stones.

The books represented the best of printed material across Europe so the building was a vault designed to preserve them perfectly eg exterior walls were 2.11 ms thick. In addition to moisture and temperature, books were also affected by insects that feed on paper. To prevent this, the shelves were made from dense, durable oak, with an odour to keep insects away. For c2.5 centuries, 2 colonies of bats lived in the library for pest control. But the presence of these mammals required additional precaution: each evening the tables were covered with leather towels. This procedure, common in temples and palaces, still prevents the damage caused by animals' waste now.

This extensive care was due to the rarity of the documents; the collections date from C16th-18ths, whose majority represent the best works from Europe then i.e c60,000 books dating C16th-C18th i.e medicine, history, geography, humanities, science, civil & canon law, theology & philosophy. It’s also home to precious historical documents.

baroque library Coimbra Uni

Unesco World Heritage Site,

Dreamstime

Like other respected European universities, Uni of Coimbra governed itself and had its own legislation. This privilege protected the academic staff and students from living with common criminals. This remained until 1834 when the privilege was revoked. The academic prison which had been located elsewhere, operated here atop the former the Royal Palace prison. What we see now is a prison of medieval origin with narrow cells.

Reforms were carried out by Marquis of Pombal, adding communal cells, visiting rooms and a prayer room, all visible from the centre space. More recently the ground floor operated as a book deposit, following the end of the Uni colleges mostly moved from the lower City. In some cases the libraries that served those colleges were moved here and to the intermediate floor.

The art design of the library was characterised by its international origin which emphasised the Portuguese Empire’s global reach. Chinoiserie motifs painted on exotic South American wood were entirely done by Portuguese artists, except for the monumental portrait of King John V of Portugal by Domenico Duprà in 1725. This portrait dominates the Noble Floor. Over the entrance door, see the national coat of arms. Inside there were 3 great rooms divided by decorated arches, with the same style as the portal & entirely executed by Portuguese artists. The walls have by 2 storeyed shelves, in gilded or painted exotic woods (esp Brazilian). Painted ceilings were by the Lisbon artists Simões Ribeiro & Vicente Nunes while Manuel da Silva did the chinoiserie shelves. Gaspar Ferreira was an artist was endowed with special skill for ornamental art.

All the bibliographic works were in a preserved condition, due to the building being a perfect vault with a stable environment all year. The building was seen as a library house constructed with exterior walls c2.11 ms thick. The vault door was made of teak, maintaining the space at a constant c19°C. To maintain this stable environment the humidity hovers c60%, conditioning the wood interior. As well as humidity and temperature, the stacks were affected by another enemy: insects that survive on paper. They was repelled by oak wood, that as well as its density, elicited an odour that was repellent to these insects.

King João V was recognised for his extensive patronage of culture, science and the arts, and this library was one of his best legacies. Having in its origins the old statutory requirement of the provision of a public library at the Uni, its construction took place between 1717-28. In its architecture as well as in its sumptuous decoration, many artists would collaborate and interact well to convert it into an excellent uni library. The splendour is intact!

Between the rector's request, which was behind the origins of the Uni's new library, and the King's response, a subtle change occurred in 1716. While the Uni representative was referring to the organisation of a room suitable for the library, the monarch favoured finding a place in the Uni Courtyard. Contrary to expectations, royal grace significantly expanded the School's ambition.

The Uni facilities had occupied the former Royal Palace, so a new location was chosen, making use of the ruined remains of the C14th palatine prison in D. João I’s reign. Late in the C18th it was used as rental houses, while the public rooms opened onto the courtyard which were extended.

Bronze artists, coppersmiths, glaziers and craftsmen were working together in their various trades. Established in Lisbon, Italian Francesco Realdino was hired in 1725 to create 6 sumptuous precious wood reading tables, master-pieces of C18th carpentry. The Minerva stairs dated back to 1724 and the project was largely completed in 1728. Documentation of the architectural plans for the Uni library led to a conflict between the works, designed in 1] a regional baroque style VS 2] Lisbon royal artists. Plus the King wanted to build a new library VS the Uni's request to renovate an existing facility.

map of Portugal, Porto in north, Coimbra in centre, Lisbon further south

The king worked in 1699-1702 on the sculptural decoration of the new classroom wing. It was the task of French sculptor Claude de Laprade, working in Lisbon since early C18th where he worked in stone or wooden sculpture, & altar-pieces. The Library's work combined both national and international trends. 3 years after the work was completed, the Uni commissioned gilded bronze numbers, now seen on the shelves to place all Uni books in designated places: Room 1: Maths-Medicine; Room 2: Laws-Canons; Room 3: Arts-Theology. Realising it was impossible to distribute them freely, they created large catalogues!

Credit to  Dr J Campbell: The Library: World History 2013

Reducing injections for US children :(

I’ve cited Kat Lay’s “What effect will Donald Trump’s childhood vaccine recommendations have in the US and beyond?” Since appointed in 2025, Secretary Health & Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr sought to loosen vaccine regulations. Kennedy is a leading vaccination sceptic who has for years increa-sed dishonesty about vaccines. A study found he was the top super-spreader of Covid-19 vaccine deception on Twitter/X in 2021. He tried to reshape US vaccination schedules but his attempts were blocked by federal judges. So reporters were told that judges’ rulings were not the same as an Executive Order. In a CNN interview, Kennedy insisted he’d never questioned the MMR vaccine’s efficacy. The proposed changes were to give parents choice, not to limit access to vaccines.

Pres Trump signs order to reduce childhood vaccines & reduce autism 

and Sec of Health Kennedy is the witness

Aug 2026, WSJ

A new Executive Order from US Pres Donald Trump wants wide changes to childhood vaccine recom-mendations. His plans would result in fewer vaccines being recommended overall; the combined measles, mumps and rubella/MMR vaccine being replaced with 3 separate vaccines, and all childhood immunisations being administered during separate medical visits widely spread out. Is there any science behind the Order? And what are the likely implications?

The main outcome could be parental uncertainty, American Academy Paediatrics said, with conflicting messages delaying vaccinations. Noting measles cases are already at a 35-year high in US, the concern was that with any extra delay, more children could be harmed with deadly vaccine-preventable diseases. Clearly an executive order has no legal effect on the public, but it’s likely to pressure US states to change vaccination requirements before children can attend schools. And it prepares for legal challenges against states that implemented their own vaccine recommendations.

The Order won’t be copied in other countries, said Prof  of Global Health & Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. No country wants to deal with the costly outbreak responses that occur, but the short-term risk is that non-USA parents get the false impression that the vaccines offered aren't safe. The long-term risk is that poor information will lead to lower vaccination rates in the nation, and the world will see a resurgence of previously prevented diseases. Finally non-vaccinated U.S children might visit other countries and spread diseases abroad.

Why did Trump do this? He’d often claimed that vaccinations causes autism and made the same link when signing this Order. After the Order, World Health Organisation-WHO reiterated the science-based process used to set child immunisation schedules in many nations. WHO told a press conference that vaccine schedules must be made by science experts, free of political control.

Do MMR vaccines cause autism? Prof Child Public Health at Uni College London found no link in any scientific studies; in fact the vaccine has saved millions of lives. False claims linking the MMR vaccine and autism were made by British Dr Andrew Wakefield in 1998 in Lancet Medical Journal. His paper was retracted and Wakefield was struck off the UK’s medical register. But he’s been lauded by anti-vaxxers and he attended Trump’s 1st inauguration.

Is there any science supporting the breaking up of MMR vaccines into separate injections? The 3 vaccines have never been administered as separate doses to young children in U.S policy, so that policy’s safety statements are untrue; just by delaying protection it could be a serious step backwards for protecting children’s health. Giving them separately.. leads to risking children’s health.

Prof Paediatrics at Bristol Uni asked would these proposals affect vaccination rates? Studies of communities with low vaccination rates typically find that, while hesitancy can be an issue, accessibility also plays a role eg getting children to many health appointments. Spacing vaccines across separate visits increases the likelihood of delayed or missed doses, leaving children susceptible for longer.

ACRC trials poster

Protect yourself and your family from measles with vaccinations

Instagram

Trump signed an Executive Order to limit childhood MMR vaccines, claiming a link between vaccines and autism. Decades ago children got only a small fraction of the vaccines required today, he said. In those times, people were much healthier and of course the high rates of autism now observed did not exist. The President has long cast doubt on the safety of MMR vaccines, even though studies found no connection between MMR vaccines and autism.

Medical experts criticised Trump’s Order, saying it could reduce vaccination rates & expose children to disease. The Order recommends that the number of childhood vaccines drop to 11 from today's 18, given by American Academy of Paediatrics: measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, chicken pox etc. Trump's Order isn't as a mandate, since injections required for school attendance are set by the states, not by the federal government.

Trump stated the MMR vaccine could be quite lethal if given at once, comparing it to pouring a bottle of soda into a child's body. FDA noted a single dose of MMR is 0.5ml so when a reporter asked for evidence of the lethal claim, Trump said What I've heard is that there are some people that say it is that way. We're reducing the vaccines, and they’ll be done in a series of visits to the doctor.

Paediatrician prepares to administer a measles vaccination

during Washington's outbreak

Mother Jones

Centres for Disease Control and Prevention/CDC reported the MMR vaccine carries little risk of febrile seizures for todd-lers; those with health issues eg severe allergies should consult doctors beforehand. Getting the vaccine has proven much safer than getting measles/mumps/rubella. CDC found no published scientific evidence that shows any benefit in separating the mixed MMR vaccine into 3 individual shots. Experts say that allowing time between injections makes children more likely to contract diseases then or more likely to miss later appointments. (I’ve the best memory in this nation yet embarrassingly I forgot to return for my 6th Covid injection!!). Nashville’s Vanderbilt Uni School of Medicine reported the more future bookings made, the harder for doctors to track, plus it would add to expenses.

Trump officials have said the order means U.S children would receive fewer than the number recommended by the existing vaccine schedule. Pres of American Academy of Paediatrics Dr Racine said Trump's Order was not based on quality science. Delaying injections is risky; measles will spread once children go back to school.

A Danish 2002 MMR Study, in New England Journal Medicine, tracked 537,303 children born 1991-8. Another nationwide cohort study evaluated 657,461 children born 1999-2010, carefully looking at children with high-risk factors. The 2025 study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, analysed data from 1.2 million+ children born 1997–2018. The three Danish studies found no association, reaffirming that the MMR vaccine does not increase autism risk.

It's not my business what other nations do, but I have 3 first cousins in US & would be devastated if their babies died.

My favourite books 2006 Vs now

I can remember nearly every novel set by English teachers in high school (1960-65) . But when I recently found a 2006 newspaper article discussing my reading preferences, I couldn't remember the era when my children still lived at home. This newspaper article covered the books I most loved in the decades from 1975-2005.

  

Book column

Australian Jewish News

Melbourne March 2006

 

The Women's Room is the first novel

by American author Marilyn French,

published in 1977.

These days I read big, beautifully written and glossy books that I leave on the family room table to impress family and friends. And because they are too heavy and expensive to carry around. My three best current examples are: Palazzi of Rome, by Cresti and Rendina, published by Konemann, 1998; Patrons and Painters, Art and Society in Baroque Italy by Haskell, published by Yale UP 1980 and The Library, a World History, by Campbell and Pryce, Chicago UP, 2013. 

If any reader is interested in the book I would like for my next birthday, I suggest Le Corbusier: An Atlas of Modern Landscapes by Le Corbusier, Mardges Bacon, Prof Barry Bergdoll (contribs) et al, Museum of Modern Art, 2013  :)