Though diminished after the fire of 1970 by the loss of its elaborate Dutch gable and distinctive sun-burner turret, the edifice still dominates and enhances an elegant Victorian curve of promenade.

For the first few years of their existence, Gardner managed the Alhambra and the Park Hotel, both integral to the partners’ redevelopment of the West End's 1877 Summer Gardens whose 30 acres, including a massive pavilion, had proved unprofitable and located too far from the sea.

In addition, the Alhambra managers spotlit what was in vogue – variety, films, and summer shows – without losing its reputation as a home for amateur, social, and community needs.

The venue was closed in 1970, when a projector caught fire in the upper tiers and the entire wood structure of the interior collapsed, although the flames did not spread to the large space of fly tower.

The walls and main structure were unaffected by the internal damage, and so, after basic remodelling inside (the suspended ceilings still conceal a cavernous balcony and roof space above), it reopened as the Carleton Club, a huge 'black box' with multi-bars suited to dance and social events.

The club's fortunes faded at exactly the same time that Morecambe's West End became a particular area of major social deprivation as a result of the whole resort's economy collapsing in the 1980s and 1990s.

Along with other large buildings in the town such as the iconic Midland Hotel and top leisure park Frontierland at the edge of the West End, the Carleton/Alhambra fell into disuse with only a handful of events put on per year, and it finally closed in 2016.