The ballroom dancing, music and theatrical entertainment went on in the building behind the Dome – built as the Empress Theatre, later the Empress Ballroom and now the Bingo Hall, and not part of the present regeneration of the Dome.

The space under the Dome was described in the Seaside Chronicle of May 7, 1910, in the run-up to the grand opening, as a lobby, an "amphitheatre (which) lends itself, by its extent and situation, to an ideal meeting place for strangers within the gates of Whitley Bay…"

The paper went on to say: "From the Rotunda, the grounds, theatre, cafés, promenades etc., are all approached." There was also a café above the lobby which connected with roof gardens above the shops on either side, some of which were later rebuilt as a cinema and a Monkey House.

The Dome remained a quiet place to shelter from the rain, to meet one's friends and make new friends, before, perhaps, embarking on exciting adventures on the 'Social Whirl' or 'Figure of Eight' in the fairground.

I cannot think of a better use for the Dome, than to use it as a place for quiet contemplation and deep thought spiced up with some competition, to meet new friends with similar interests, and to get away from the noise and bustle of a successful seaside town, which I sincerely hope Whitley Bay will soon become.

MORAG HORSEMAN
Victoria Terrace, Whitley Bay.
Whitley Bay.

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