The Memories of Clary Swann - Page 2

1932: Alexander Harold Beaumont (AHB) and Ernie Madle came together with an idea to build an amusement park to entertain visitors to Canvey. AHB was a very successful business man based at Wrights Wharf Salmon Lane London E14, his company maintained and built gas holders at power stations all over the country (this was big business at this time). Mr Madle was a showman with fairgrounds in his roots. The partnership purchased 200ft of frontage on Canvey seafront. Eugene Lawrence (founder of Canvey Supply) was commissioned as Architect to plan that the amusement park.

Canvey Casino original plans & the first shovel of earth - 1932

The original plan was a single storey complex to house two restaurants (one either side of the arcade at the front entrance) and through to an amusement park with fairground rides at the rear. This was soon re-designed to a two storey building to accommodate a state of the art ballroom.

The main frame of the building was constructed using a large steel frame with brickwork walls. This building covered just 100ft of the frontage purchased. The rest was to be developed at a later date.
As you can see from the photos AHB was very much hands on, he was on site overseeing all the work throughout - he was very much "hands on".

Building started with one shovel of earth being lifted by AHB on a windswept seafront.