▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁the ▁pier ▁was ▁struggling ▁to ▁remain ▁finan cially ▁vi able ; ▁J H ▁Harrison , ▁the ▁manager ▁of ▁ 3 2 ▁years , ▁stepped ▁down ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁The ▁pav il ion ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁fire ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁January ▁ 1 9 2 8 , ▁which ▁left ▁behind ▁a ▁steel work ▁shell ▁that ▁was ▁not ▁re built . ▁The ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁bla ze ▁remains ▁unknown . ▁The ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁damage , ▁covered ▁by ▁ins urance , ▁amount ed ▁to ▁thousands ▁of ▁pounds , ▁but ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁fatal ities , ▁as ▁the ▁on - site ▁care t aker ▁who ▁lived ▁on ▁the ▁pier ▁had ▁only ▁just ▁left ▁his ▁residence ▁to ▁sound ▁the ▁alarm ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁eng ulf ed ▁by ▁the ▁fl ames . ▁Despite ▁a ▁proposal ▁several ▁months ▁later ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁new ▁pav il ion ▁at ▁the ▁pier ' s ▁shore ▁end , ▁from ▁a ▁design ▁prepared ▁by ▁St ▁Anne ' s ▁architect ▁Arnold ▁England , ▁no ▁work ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁and ▁the ▁pier ▁re open ed ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁May ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁without ▁a ▁pav il ion . ▁ ▁The ▁next ▁ten ▁years ▁saw ▁a ▁plan ▁by ▁then ▁own ers ▁L yth am ▁Pier ▁& ▁Am us ements ▁Ltd ▁to ▁convert ▁the ▁pier ▁into ▁the ▁shape ▁of ▁a ▁ship , ▁but ▁it ▁came ▁to ▁nothing . ▁As ▁its ▁popular ity ▁dw ind led , ▁the ▁pier ▁closed ▁to ▁visitors ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁and