Villa Marina, Isle of Man
![]() View of main building and gardens (c. 2009) | |
![]() | |
Former names | Villa Marina Gardens and Kursaal (1913-14) |
---|---|
Address | Harris Promenade Douglas Isle of Man IM1 2HP |
Owner | Department of Education, Sport and Culture |
Capacity | 1,620 (Royal Hall) 300 (Promenade Suite) 200 (Colonnade Suite) 200 (Villa Marina Arcade) 150 (Broadway Cinema) 20 (Noble Suite) |
Construction | |
Broke ground | December 1911 |
Opened | 19 July 1913 |
Renovated | 2001-04, 2010 |
Construction cost | £25,000 (£3.22 million in 2023 pounds[1]) |
Architect | Percy Robinson and W. Alban Jones |
Builder | Paul Rhodes |
Main contractors | Ferro-Concrete |
Website | |
Venue Website |
The Villa Marina is an entertainment venue in
Prof. Adshead was an eminent designer of entertainment buildings for seaside resorts, his work including: the Royal Victoria Pavilion, Ramsgate; the Worthing Lido; the Pavilion Theatre and Worthing Pier.
History
Villa Marina Estate
Origins
The Villa Marina and surrounding grounds were originally an estate owned by
Colonel Steuart died, aged 65, on 15 November 1832;[7] the whole estate was then offered for sale by auction.[5]
Joseph Dunn
The Mansion House and surrounds were bought by Joseph Dunn,
The tenancy of Governor Pigott was short: he died on 21 January 1863. The unexpired part of the lease was then placed on the market with an option to purchase the estate and the right to purchase the house and grounds within the remaining five years of the lease.[19]
Henry Noble
On 4 May 1863, the unexpired term of the lease was purchased by
William Johnson relinquished his lease on the Villa Marina at the beginning of May 1868, when he retired from business.
After Noble's death in 1903, the Villa Marina was once again used as a home for the island's Lieutenant Governor when Lord Raglan took up residence after his appointment later that year.[28]
Villa Marina Entertainment Venue
The entire site was bequeathed in Noble's will to the Henry Bloom Noble Trust. The site was used as the venue for several summer garden fetes and parties
The original name of the venue was the Villa Marina Kursaal.[3] In part this was seen as an attempt by the Corporation to address the town's perceived lack of sophistication and to raise the town's profile to visitors.[3] The Germanic term for the venue was dropped at the outbreak of World War I and the venue was renamed the Royal Hall.[3]
For several summer seasons in the 1950s the Villa Marina was home to Joe Loss and his orchestra.[35] Other stars performing at that time included Ivy Benson and various international cabaret artistes. During the summer months the Villa gardens would also be the venue for numerous beauty pageants.
Restoration
By the year 2000, the Villa Marina had become a burden to its owner, Douglas Corporation, and was in need of considerable renovation. Just as had been the case with the nearby Gaiety Theatre 30 years previously, the large financial commitment needed to restore the venue to an acceptable standard was seen as unaffordable, and so ownership of the Villa Marina was transferred from Douglas Borough Council to the Isle of Man Government in March 2000.[34]
Various alterations were made starting in 2001, with local architect Ian Brown commissioned to undertake the work.[3] The work included the reorientation of the main entrance from facing the promenade to facing the gardens. A cinema and Promenade Suite were created, and a profile of the benefactor of the land, Henry Bloom Noble, was placed above the entrance.[3]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Villa_Marina_Arcade%2C_Isle_of_Man.jpg/220px-Villa_Marina_Arcade%2C_Isle_of_Man.jpg)
Other attractions
Dragon's Castle
The Dragon's Castle is a venue for young children to have fun in a safe and friendly environment. The facility can cater for up to 30 children and is a popular venue for children's birthdays. Facilities include:[36] Slides, tunnels, a
Broadway cinema
The Broadway Cinema is a modern cinema showing the latest movie releases as well as niche films on occasions.[36] The cinema can also be used as a lecture theatre.[36]
Current use
As part of the integrated VillaGaiety complex, the venue plays host to a variety of entertainment; notable amongst these are music concerts and comedy shows. The Villa Marina has also hosted numerous indoor sporting events such as darts tournaments, chess tournaments, boxing tournaments and International All-Star Professional Wrestling.
References
- ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ a b Maxima Systems Ltd. "Isle of Man Guide – DOUGLAS, Villa Marina". Iomguide.com. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Isle of Man Examiner. Tuesday, November 1, 2006. Page 27
- ^ Manks Advertiser Thursday, 11.07.1822 Page: 5
- ^ a b c Manks Advertiser Tuesday, 01.01.1833 Page: 5
- ^ a b Manx Sun Saturday, 28.04.1855 Page: 24
- ^ Manks Advertiser Tuesday, 20.11.1832 Page: 11
- ^ Mona's Herald Wednesday, 06.03.1844 Page: 5
- ^ Manx Sun Friday, 11.10.1833 Page: 2
- ^ Manx Sun Saturday, 10.07.1852 Page: 21
- ^ Mona's Herald Friday, 10.01.1834 Page: 2
- ^ Mona's Herald Wednesday, 28.05.1845 Page: 3
- ^ Manx Sun Saturday, 14.03.1846 Page: 4
- ^ a b Manx Sun Saturday, 01.12.1860 Page: 4
- ^ Mona's Herald Wednesday, 05.12.1860 Page: 3
- ^ Manx Sun Saturday, 08.12.1860 Page: 4
- ^ Mona's Herald Wednesday, 02.01.1861 Page: 2
- ^ Mona's Herald Wednesday, 12.06.1861 Page: 3
- ^ Manx Sun Saturday, 24.01.1863 Page: 12
- ^ Mona's Herald Wednesday, 06.05.1863 Page: 3.
- ^ Isle of Man Weekly Advertising Circular Tuesday, 05.05.1863 Page: 5
- ^ Manx Sun Saturday, 29.10.1864 Page: 23
- ^ Isle of Man Weekly Advertising Circular Tuesday, 10.07.1866 Page: 3
- ^ Isle of Man Times Saturday, 16.11.1867 Page: 8
- ^ Isle of Man Weekly Advertising Circular Tuesday, 01.09.1868 Page: 1
- ^ Mona's Herald Wednesday, 10.06.1868 Page: 2
- ^ Manx Sun Saturday, 13.06.1868 Page: 12
- ^ Isle of Man Examiner Saturday, 13.06.1903 Page: 5
- ^ Manx Sun. Saturday, July 08, 1905; Page: 3
- ^ The Motor Cycle pp545 dated 19 June 1905
- ^ Mona's Herald. Wednesday, March 14, 1906; Page: 6
- ^ Isle of Man Examiner. Saturday, July 01, 1905; Page: 4
- ^ Mona's Herald. Wednesday, December 06, 1905; Page: 6
- ^ a b "Douglas Borough Council – Council keeps step with Villa Marina centenary celebrations". Douglas.gov.im. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ "Light Programme - 13 July 1954 - BBC Genome". Genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ a b c "About Us".