58-773: The Brighton Palace Pier , commonly known as Brighton Pier or the Palace Pier , is a Grade II* listed pleasure pier in Brighton , England, located in the city centre opposite the Old Steine . Established in 1899, it was the third pier to be constructed in Brighton after the Royal Suspension Chain Pier and the West Pier , but is now the only one still in operation. It is managed and operated by
116-538: A AFS fireman in The Bells Go Down (1943). Bitter Springs (1950) has been described as Trinder's last significant film and features the comedian as a failing travelling conjuror who makes a new life as a stockman in the Australian Outback . After the war, Trinder concentrated mainly on his stage act. He attempted to break America, appearing on a New York bill with Frank Sinatra in
174-460: A haunted house ride , a traditional carousel , a helter skelter and a cup and saucer ride . The Booster is a pendulum ride by Fabbri , which catapults people 130 feet (40 m) into the air, turning upside down in the process. For young children, Fantasia is a simple ride featuring Disney characters. The pier has featured regularly in British popular culture. It is shown prominently in
232-460: A public information film promoting wartime British Restaurants . Trinder was known for his self-promotion and claimed that, had he not entered showbusiness, he would have worked in publicity. When appearing in George Black 's musical revue Happy and Glorious in 1944, he arranged for large posters to be displayed across London bearing the slogan "If it's laughter you're after, Trinder's
290-535: A "transcendental self-belief" typified by his "you lucky people!" catchphrase. His act was fast-talking and direct, with topical allusions and ad libs . Trinder would often begin his act with "The name's Trinder. That's T-R-I-N-D-E-R, pronounced Chumley", a dig at the upper classes . In December 1938, Trinder was spotlighted in an end-of-year review in The Era , who said "Tommy Trinder has established himself firmly in his own special niche, as we knew he would. But it
348-559: A boy, Trinder would sneak into Fulham Football Club 's Craven Cottage ground when the Thames was at low tide to watch the club play. Trinder left school early for a job as an errand boy . He made his first stage appearance at the age of twelve in a talent competition at Collins's Music Hall . Trinder's singing act won the contest and when collecting his award, he was approached by Will Murray who recruited him for his Casey's Court juvenile comedy show. Trinder made his first appearance with
406-517: A fairground ride was operated with part of its track missing. A representative from the Health and Safety Executive said that inadequate procedures were to blame for the fact that nothing had been done to alert staff or passengers that the ride would be dangerous to use. The pier management came into criticism from Brighton and Hove City Council , who thought they were relying too much on fairground rides, some of which were being built too high. In 2011,
464-468: A popular tourist attraction into the 21st century, particularly with day visitors to the city. In contrast to the redevelopment and liberal culture in Brighton generally, it has retained a traditional down-market "bucket and spade" seaside atmosphere. In 2016, the Brighton Fringe festival director Julian Caddy criticised the pier as "a massive public relations problem". On 8 April 2019 a piece of
522-408: A position he maintained until 1976. He continued to perform into the 1980s. Tommy Trinder was born at 54 Wellfield Road, Streatham , South London , on 24 March 1909, the son of Thomas Henry Trinder, a London tram driver from Shilton , Oxfordshire, and his Scottish wife Jennie Georgina Harriet ( née Mills). The family moved to Fulham after Trinder's father was transferred to Hammersmith . As
580-461: A regular part of his act. He also continued to make occasional film appearances. Trinder's television appearances were largely limited to guest spots on programmes including The Dickie Valentine Show during the 1960s. In May 1964, he reprised his Champagne Charlie character in the first of several appearances on the BBC music hall programme The Good Old Days . Later that year, Trinder adapted to
638-509: A theatre. Both Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin performed at the pier to hone their comic skills early in their career, before migrating to the US and finding major commercial success in Hollywood. During World War I , the sea surrounding the pier was extensively mined to prevent enemy attacks. In the 1920s, the pier was widened, and a distinctive clock tower was added. During World War II ,
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#1732776596270696-574: A week if he could. He repeated this to the press, telling them "If he asks for it, who am I to deny it to the best player in the world?". The wage cap was lifted in 1961 and Trinder kept his word. The rise kept Haynes from signing with A.C. Milan and he remained with Fulham until 1970. The Daily Mail sports columnist J. L. Manning described Trinder's move as "a bold, brave and sensible application of soccer’s New Deal". During his chairmanship, Trinder continued to perform in provincial theatres, pantomime and holiday camps and jokes about Fulham became
754-513: Is a list of listed buildings in the United Kingdom . The organization of the lists in this series is on the same basis as the statutory registers, which generally rely on counties. For England and Wales, the county names are broadly those of the ceremonial counties of England and Wales and do not always match the current administrative areas, whereas in most cases they parallel the current subdivisions of Scotland . In Northern Ireland
812-433: Is a pivotal part of the album's plot, and features in the 1979 film . Townshend later said that the rest of the band understood this element of the story, as it related to their mod roots. The 2014 novel The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell includes passages that take place on the pier. The 2015 British TV series, Cuffs , which takes place in Brighton features the pier, both in the opening theme as well as in parts of
870-550: Is expected of me to make jokes about current topical items of interest. I gag about Lady Docker and Diana Dors . If I happen to be in the news, I gag about myself." In October 1957, Trinder mounted a successful tour of South Africa . Sunday Night used a number of guest presenters in his absence. Trinder returned to Britain in March 1958 to complete the series. Having offended the managing director of ATV, Val Parnell , and his deputy, Lew Grade , on multiple occasions, Trinder
928-546: Is not a niche easy of attainment. To abolish deliberately the proscenium , to get down among the audience, treat individual members of it with easy familiarity, pinch their cigarettes and chocolates and to be loved for doing it... well, I have seen other artists try something like it, and their reward has been the frozen face and the indignant murmur. Tommy Trinder is a truly great artist". In July 1939, Trinder starred alongside Arthur Askey in Jack Hylton 's stage version of
986-485: Is opposite the southern end of Old Steine (the A23 to London) where it meets Marine Parade and Grand Junction Road which run along the seafront. It is 1,722 feet (525 m) long and contains 85 miles (137 km) of planking. Because of the pier's length, repainting it takes three months every year. At night, it is illuminated by 67,000 bulbs. No. 14 and No. 27 buses run directly from Brighton railway station to
1044-615: The 1971 film , Carry on at Your Convenience , and it is shown to represent Brighton in several film and television features, including MirrorMask , The Persuaders , the Doctor Who serial The Leisure Hive (1980), the 1986 film Mona Lisa , and the 2007 film, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street . The Graham Greene novel Brighton Rock featured the Palace Pier. John Boulting's 1947 film adaptation helped established "low life" subculture in Brighton, and
1102-899: The BBC 's radio comedy series Band Waggon at the London Palladium . By the time of the Second World War , Trinder was one of Britain's foremost entertainers and regularly appeared in his own shows at the London Palladium. He performed for British armed forces personnel as part of ENSA ( Entertainments National Service Association ) and would joke that the organisation’s name stood for Every Night Something Atrocious. Trinder would later dub its successor CSE ( Combined Services Entertainment ) "Chaos Supersedes ENSA". In 1941, he appeared in Eating Out with Tommy Trinder ,
1160-515: The Labour Party politician Barbara Castle . A biography by Patrick Newley, You Lucky People! – The Tommy Trinder Story , was published by Third Age Press in 2008. Trinder was placed 83rd in Channel 4 's The 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007. In 2010, comedian Ross Noble campaigned for people to vote for Trinder in an online poll for an updated version of the list, saying "Tommy Trinder
1218-653: The National Piers Society 's Pier of the Year award in 1998. In 2017, it was listed as the fourth most popular free attraction in Britain in a National Express survey. In 2017, the pier was said to be the most visited tourist attraction outside London, with over 4.5 million visitors the previous year. Notes Citations Sources Listed buildings in the United Kingdom This
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#17327765962701276-460: The game show The Parlour Game . He made his last television appearance in February 1989, recalling his contemporary Max Miller in the BBC 40 Minutes documentary I Like The Girls Who Do . The same year, he came out of stage retirement to make a final appearance at the London Palladium in a variety show celebrating the founding of BBC local radio. An exhibition of photographs and ephemera
1334-453: The game show segment Beat the Clock , the programme regularly attracted an estimated twelve million viewers. As he had in his stage act, Trinder often included pointed topical gags in the programme, a feature that sometimes proved controversial. Among Trinder's targets were fellow entertainers Bob Monkhouse , Liberace and Frank Sinatra. Explaining his position in 1956, he commented "It
1392-558: The satire boom with appearances in six episodes of the BBC series Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life . Trinder performed before the British royal family in six Royal Variety Performances between 1945 and 1980. From 1937 onwards, he was a member of the exclusive entertainment fraternity, the Grand Order of Water Rats . He served three non-consecutive terms as its "King Rat" in 1955, 1963 and 1965. In 1956, Trinder
1450-534: The Air Race ride, manufactured by Zamperla , came loose and hit some people, injuring four people, one of whom was taken to hospital. In 2024 it was announced that the pier would introduce a £1 admission fee beginning on 25 May. The fee is in place over weekends during June and throughout July and August and will not apply to local residents who have a Brighton Palace Pier local residents card. The pier includes several fairground rides, such as two roller coasters ,
1508-556: The Chain Pier's debris. The pier was not fully complete on the opening date; some work on the pavilion was completed shortly afterwards. It was designed to resemble kursaals , which were entertainment buildings found near spas on the Continent, and included reading and dining rooms. The pier was an immediate success and quickly became one of the most popular landmarks in Brighton. By 1911, the reading rooms had been converted into
1566-475: The Eclectic Bar Group. The Palace Pier was intended as a replacement for the Chain Pier, which collapsed in 1896 during construction of the new pier. It quickly became popular, and had become a frequently-visited theatre and entertainment venue by 1911. Aside from closures owing to war, it continued to hold regular entertainment up to the 1970s. The theatre was damaged in 1973 and following a buy-out
1624-572: The Noble Organisation put the pier for sale, with an expected price of £30 million. It was rumoured that the council wanted to buy the pier, but this was quickly ruled out. It was taken off the market the following year, due to lack of interest in suitable buyers. In 2016, it was sold to the Eclectic Bar Group, headed by former PizzaExpress owner Luke Johnson , who renamed the pier back to Brighton Palace Pier in July. The Palace Pier remains
1682-571: The Queen's Theatre, Poplar, London . Trinder also performed in concert parties and working men's clubs . By the mid-1930s, Trinder was appearing in variety shows across the United Kingdom with an act titled "The Load of Nonsense". Trinder began to achieve national recognition in 1937 with the touring revues Tune In and In Town Tonight . Trinder's stage persona was confident and cheeky with what historian Matthew Sweet has described as
1740-494: The city of Brighton and Hove . During a storm in 1973, a 70-long-ton (71 t) barge moored at the pier's landing stage broke loose and began to damage the pier head, particularly the theatre. Despite fears that the pier would be destroyed, the storm eased and the barge was removed. The landing pier was demolished in 1975, and the damaged theatre was never used again, despite protests from the Theatres Trust . The pier
1798-422: The climax of the film is set on it, where gangleader Pinkie Brown (played by Richard Attenborough ) falls to his death. The 1953 B movie Girl on a Pier is set around the Palace Pier and also features the clash between holidaymakers and gangsters in Brighton. The Who 's 1973 concept album Quadrophenia was inspired in part by band leader Pete Townshend spending a night underneath the pier in March 1964. It
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1856-509: The company on 5 June 1921 in Oldham . The company, which also featured Jimmy Wheeler at the time, toured music halls including Sunderland Empire Theatre . After a few years with Casey's Court, Trinder then joined a dancing act called Phil Rees' Stable Lads. At the age of 14, he performed with them at Folies Bergère , Paris . By 1926, the 17-year-old Trinder was the star of Archie Pitt 's travelling variety comedy shows, often appearing at
1914-489: The couple moved into Du Cane Court , an Art Deco apartment block on Balham High Road, Balham , South London. According to biographer Patrick Newley, Violet grew to dislike Trinder so much that she refused to laugh at his jokes. After the couple split, Trinder married Gwyn (Toni) Lancelyn Green and moved to a large private estate, Burwood Park in Hersham , Surrey . Interviewed in 1968, Trinder expressed admiration for
1972-517: The following year after achieving commercial success. On 13 August 1994, a bomb planted by the IRA near the pier was defused by a controlled explosion. A similar bomb by the same perpetrators had exploded in Bognor Regis on the same day. The bombing was intended to mark the 25th anniversary of the start of The Troubles . The pier was closed for several days owing to police investigation. The pier
2030-563: The ghost train ride, which is where the fire started, as well as damaging two other rides and leaving a hole in the pier's decking, but luckily not causing any structural damage. In 2004, the Brighton Marine Palace Pier Company (owned by the Noble Organisation), admitted an offence of breaching public safety under the Health and Safety at Work Act and had to pay fines and costs of £37,000 after
2088-455: The medium of television, believing that the amount of daily rehearsal sapped performances of their spontaneity. Trinder was a lifelong supporter of Fulham Football Club . By 1948, he was a director at the club and from 1959 until 1976, he was chairman of the club. In this position, Trinder championed the midfielder Johnny Haynes . Confident that football's £20 maximum wage would remain in place, Trinder told Haynes that he would pay him £100
2146-584: The name". One of the posters, in the East End of London, was in Yiddish . The Stage has described Trinder as one of the first artists to recognise the importance of advertising. Trinder began a film career in 1938, making his film debut in Welwyn Studios ' Save a Little Sunshine . He starred alongside Pat Kirkwood , who later described him as "rude and insulting and downright nasty". Trinder
2204-473: The pier was closed as a security precaution. A section of decking was removed in order to prevent access from an enemy landing. The pier regained its popularity after the war, and continued to run regular summer shows, including Tommy Trinder , Doris and Elsie Waters and Dick Emery . The pier was listed at Grade II* on 20 August 1971. As of February 2001, it was one of 70 Grade II*-listed buildings and structures , and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in
2262-594: The pier was officially opened on 20 May by the Mayoress of Brighton. It was named the Brighton Marine Palace and Pier, whose name was inscribed into the pier's metalwork. It cost a record £27,000 (£3,839,000 in 2023) to build, including 3,000 lights to illuminate the pier. Part of the cost was repairs to the West Pier and the nearby Volk's Electric Railway caused by damage in the 1896 storm from
2320-402: The pier. The pier was designed and constructed by R. St George Moore. It was the third in Brighton, following the Royal Suspension Chain Pier in 1823 and the West Pier in 1866. The inaugural ceremony for laying of the first pile was held on 7 November 1891, overseen by Mayor Samuel Henry Soper. A condition to be met by its builders, in exchange for permission to build, was that the Chain Pier
2378-572: The province's six traditional counties are used, and these are unchanged in modern times. Different classifications of listed buildings are used in different parts of the United Kingdom: The lists for the countries of the UK are at: This article about a listed building in the United Kingdom is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Tommy Trinder Thomas Edward Trinder CBE (24 March 1909 – 10 July 1989)
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2436-652: The spring of 1950. Advertised as "the English Bob Hope ", Trinder found the American audience "not as friendly towards English artists as English audiences are to American" and never returned. In 1952, Trinder began a tour of Australia scheduled to last three months. Upon his arrival in Sydney , he described himself as "just a pommy trying to make good". Trinder ultimately stayed in the country for almost two years. Whilst there, he raised £150,000 for charities and
2494-532: The story lines. Graham Swift 's 2020 novel Here We Are , focuses on a trio of entertainers performing at the pier in the immediate postwar period. In 2015, Martyn Ware , founding member of pop group the Human League , made a series of field recordings on the pier as part of a project with the National Trust and British Library project to capture the sounds of Britain. The pier was awarded
2552-406: The war, he worked for ENSA and maintained a successful film career, starring in a string of Ealing Studios films including Sailors Three (1940), Champagne Charlie (1944) and Bitter Springs (1950). During the 1950s, Trinder became a television star, notably as the original host of Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1955–1958). In 1959, he became chairman of Fulham Football Club ,
2610-467: Was "isn’t the 'alternative' to comedy just straight acting?". One notable latter-day television appearance was in a 1979 edition of The Old Boy Network ( BBC2 ), with Trinder performing his act at Great Yarmouth 's Windmill Theatre and presenting a condensed history of his life and career. In 1982, Trinder was reported to be earning only £17 a week in a summer season in Jersey . The following year, he
2668-550: Was President of the Lord's Taverners cricketing charity. Trinder celebrated 50 years in showbusiness in 1971. In 1975, he was appointed a CBE for services to charity. In later years, Trinder performed in pantomime, appeared in holiday camps and worked as a warm-up act for Tyne Tees Television in Newcastle . In his act, he would often make bitter allusions to Lew and Leslie Grade and his reaction to new trends in his sphere
2726-535: Was a regular panellist on the BBC Light Programme radio show Does the Team Think? . In May 1959, he was the subject of the 100th edition of This Is Your Life when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews . He moved to the BBC to host his own television series, Trinder Box , in 1959. The programme was short-lived, as was a 1960 comedy quiz show It's Only Money . Trinder never fully warmed to
2784-601: Was among the most popular of the war. In 1944, Trinder starred in the musical film Champagne Charlie , playing the 19th-century music hall performer George Leybourne opposite Stanley Holloway as his peer Alfred Vance . In the same year, Trinder appeared in Fiddlers Three , a loose sequel to Sailors Three . He also took straight acting parts, playing an army driver in charge of a gang of French refugee children in The Foreman Went to France (1942) and
2842-414: Was an English stage, screen and radio comedian whose catchphrase was "You lucky people!". Described by cultural historian Matthew Sweet as "a cocky, front-of-cloth variety turn", he was one of the United Kingdom's foremost entertainers during the Second World War . Known for his confident and direct style of comedy, Trinder first found recognition with his music hall revues in the late 1930s. During
2900-538: Was consequently made life governor of 19 hospitals. Upon his return to Britain in June 1954, he observed great changes in the types of entertainers heading variety bills. He began to work in television, describing the medium as "a powerful, but legitimate, rival to the theatre". In 1955, Trinder became the original compere for the ATV television programme Sunday Night at the London Palladium . A live variety show featuring
2958-519: Was demolished in 1986, changing the pier's character from seaside entertainment to an amusement park , with various fairground rides and roller coasters . The pier remains popular with the public, with over four million visitors in 2016, and has been featured in many works of British culture, including the gangster thriller Brighton Rock , the comedy Carry On at Your Convenience and the Who 's concept album and film Quadrophenia . The pier entrance
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#17327765962703016-581: Was dropped after the end of the series. He was replaced by Bruce Forsyth , a younger comedian widely considered similar to Trinder who had previously appeared as a guest on the show. In 1967, Trinder and Forsyth appeared together in a pantomime production arranged to ensure the two would not share a scene. In 1955, Trinder lent his catchphrase to his first film in five years, Adelphi Films ' You Lucky People! . On 28 February 1956, he appeared on American television in an edition of The Bob Hope Chevy Show broadcast from London. Beginning in 1957, Trinder
3074-417: Was held at Streatham Library in March 1989 to mark Trinder's 80th birthday. He died at St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey on 10 July 1989. Among the tributes, Ernie Wise described Trinder as "one of the best ad lib comedians we have ever produced – he was in the same class as Max Miller". The BBC repeated Trinder's edition of The Old Boy Network on 25 July. Trinder married Violet Bailey in 1932. In 1939,
3132-572: Was hospitalised after collapsing whilst appearing in the pantomime Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp and was said to have been experiencing exhaustion. Trinder collapsed on stage again during a show in Rotherham in April 1985 and during a Burton-on-Trent show in January 1986. After a stroke, Trinder used a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. He continued to work, appearing on television in
3190-403: Was renamed as "Brighton Pier" in 2000, although this legal change was not recognised by the National Piers Society nor some residents of Brighton and Hove. The local newspaper, The Argus , continued to refer to the structure as the Palace Pier. The Palace Pier caught fire on the evening of 4 February 2003, most of it reopening the following day with police suspecting arson. The fire destroyed
3248-517: Was sold to the Noble Organisation in 1984. The theatre was removed two years later, on the understanding that it would be replaced; however a domed amusement arcade was put in place instead. Consequently, the seaward end of the pier was filled with fairground rides, including thrill rides, children's rides and roller coasters . Entertainment continued to be popular at the pier; the Spice Girls made an early live performance there in 1996 and returned
3306-486: Was then signed up to Michael Balcon 's Ealing Studios when it became clear that George Formby was to be wooed away. His first work for the company was the comedy Sailors Three (1940), about three British sailors (Trinder, Claude Hulbert and Michael Wilding ) who accidentally find themselves aboard a German pocket battleship . It was Trinder's most successful comedy film and one of its featured songs "All Over The Place" (words by Frank Eyton ; music by Noel Gay )
3364-428: Was to be demolished as it had fallen into a state of disrepair. In 1896, a storm destroyed the remains of the Chain Pier, which narrowly avoided colliding with the new pier during its collapse. Some of its remaining parts, including the toll houses, were re-used for the new pier. A tram along the pier was in operation during construction, but it was dismantled two years after opening. Work was mostly completed in 1899 and
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