New Brighton Tower at the head of the Mersey was the tallest building in England when completed in 1898. Like the smaller and earlier Blackpool Tower it was built as a tourist attraction and had four lifts capable of reaching the top in 90 seconds. At the base of the tower was a theatre and ball room and the whole construction was set within pleasure grounds. Unlike the Blackpool Tower or the Eiffel Tower, this tower was constructed from mild steel rather than wrought iron and after four years closed for World War 1 it was declared unsafe and demolition of the tower commenced in 1919. The theatre and ballroom survived until they went on fire in 1969. The Beatles played there 27 times, once to their largest live audience in England. This view shows the adjacent Dalmorton Road as it is today -a typical suburban street- and what it would have looked like had the tower survived. What a loss.