Aftermath of the fire at Weymouth's Alexandra Gardens

In 1993 a massive fire ripped through Alexandra Gardens near Weymouth beach.

These pictures show its aftermath.

The Alexandra Gardens site has a rich history.

Alexandra Gardens in August 1929 Picture: Terry Gale Collection

The building where the fire started had a lot of history. It was requisitioned for military use during the Second World War and reopened again in 1945.

Entrance to the Alexandra Gardens US base USS Grasshopper in 1945

It was then renamed the Alexandra Gardens Theatre, where many entertainers would perform for holidaymakers until its closure in 1963.

Babes in the Wood performed in the Alexandra Gardens Theatre in 1995

It was converted to the Electric Palace amusement arcade which was destroyed in the fire.

The gardens were established on a small triangle of land 155 years ago and until the early twentieth century they were a traditional seaside garden with flowerbeds, footpaths and a bandstand in the centre.

Many people remember the fire taking place.

Stella Roper recalls: "I remember the night of the fire. I was in the church behind it. we had to evacuate the building. And the whole of 1st Weymouth girls' brigade was standing in uniform on the high wall by the harbour."

The building at Alexandra Gardens today reflects the history of the gardens. It was built to echo the shape of the Kursaal, an octagonal structure with its many sides, which housed the bandstand when it was constructed in 1913.