Historic statues to go back on Whitley Bay dome
Aug 24 2010 by Sonia Sharma, The Journal
TWO historic statues have been painstakingly restored to their former glory.
The dancing girl figures that stood on top of Whitley Bay’s Spanish City Dome for 100 years have been refurbished by specialists.
They were removed from the building by North Tyneside Council in 2007 and were put into safe storage because of their fragile state.
In 2008 they were sent to specialists Rupert Harris, in London, for cleaning and restoration. The work included re-coating the copper sculptures and repairing the legs, arms and feet.
Today the figures were due to be hoisted back into position on the newly-repaired tower tops of the dome.
The work will be carried out by Kier North Tyneside, which was awarded a contract to ensure the building is structurally sound and returned as close to its original design as possible.
Spence & Dower, charter architects and historic buildings consultants, were appointed to advise on the conservation and repair of Spanish City.
Meanwhile, the council is in discussion with short-listed developers about plans for bringing the building back into use.
North Tyneside Mayor, Linda Arkley, said: “The dome is at the centre of my commitment to deliver the regeneration of Whitley Bay’s seafront.
“That’s why reaching one of the very last milestones in the dome’s repair and conservation is so important. It means the focus is about to become the future permanent use of the building for the benefit of residents, visitors and businesses.”
