The Thirties are often viewed, as in Auden’s famous line, as a low dishonest decade. But the seaside resort of Brighton prospered during those years, becoming the best in Britain.

A second super cinema was built at that time, following the success of The Regent in Queen’s Road. The Savoy, with two restaurants and two cafes seating 2,300 people, replaced Brill’s Baths in East Street.

Another notable new building was the Imperial Theatre in North Street, later converted into the Embassy Cinema. The Astoria in Gloucester Place was a grand cinema hosting long runs of popular films.

The SS Brighton in West Street was built as a swimming pool but within 18 months it had been converted into a much-loved ice rink. There were also three new open air pools – a small one on the front at Rottingdean and the great Art Deco inspired pools at Black Rock and Saltdean.

Not far from SS Brighton was Sherry’s dance hall which Graham Greene featured in his novel Brighton Rock.

The Aquarium was rebuilt to contain a concert hall and its clock tower transferred to the Palace Pier. A restaurant and bandstand were added to the roof and the exterior was given a bold new look, masking the Victorian façade.

London Road, North Street and Western Road were all widened to accommodate new and attractive shops.

The new north side of Western Road was mostly owned by the council, which gained a good income from the stores.

Fine examples of architecture from the period include Regent House in North Street and Mitre House in Western Road.

The Dome was given a new interior by Robert Atkinson, acclaimed architect of The Regent cinema and ballroom.

Elm Grove’s St Wilfred’s church was designed by local H S Goodhart-Rendel. A large mural in the Lady Chapel was later added by Hans Feibusch.

The most notable new building was Embassy Court in King’s Road. Beside the lovely Regency houses of Brunswick Terrace, it was unashamedly modern and different.

Sir Herbert Carden, often called the maker of modern Brighton, wanted to go further and make the whole north side of King’s Road a series of Art Deco buildings but this would never happen.

Instead, the council sanctioned the erection of Marine Gate, a giant block of flats at Black Rock which even boasted its own restaurant.

Marine Drive between Kemp Town and Rottingdean, then a narrow lane, was rebuilt as a modern highway. Unemployed miners were hired to stabilise the cliffs below and construct the Undercliff Walk. Several settled in Brighton.

Hundreds of slum houses in the Carlton Hill district of Brighton were demolished by the council because of their poor condition.

Large new housing estates were built in Whitehawk and Moulsecoomb, East Brighton, where each home had an allotment-sized garden.

The railway line between Brighton and London was electrified in 1933 so that fast trains could bring people down from the capital.

Brighton boomed in the summer as thousands took holidays there each year – a trend encouraged by the introduction of paid time off for many workers.

Many landmark buildings of the era are either disused or were demolished but there are still enough remaining to make a tour of Thirties Brighton worthwhile.