According to the website of the venue birchmeadow.org.uk the venue stationed the local ARP and Home Guard units during WW2. It became the Bladen Club in the mid 1960’s before being purchased by the Town Council becoming the community centre that it is today. Going full-circle, the centre now offers live theatre, music and cinema shows. Although owned by the Town Council, the venue is operated by a committee of volunteers.
The school still survives as an NHS centre, and is Listed Grade II. Designed in 1909 by County Architect A.V. Rowe, G.H. Gadd, a local architect supervised the building’s erection. The school opened in 1912. The school hall retains the original decoration, including wood panelling, herringbone pattern wood block flooring and barrel-vaulted ceiling. The school was called Parkside School.
Built in 1908 as a Temperance Hall, it failed as such and was bought by Thomas Finlay who converted the hall into a variety hall and cinema in 1912. Later operated by Keith McDermid (who also managed the Kino, Butterknowle), the last film was shown on 10th November, 1962.
It was intended to open as a bingo club, The Crown Tombola and Social Club never happened. Instead it was turned into a garage which opened in 1964.
Operated by Ronnie and Vera Knight prior to closure. It was then converted into a doctor’s surgery before conversion to a private residence. This from the Tarleton History Group on Facebook.
After closure in the 1950’s, the Palace Cinema became the Top Hat Club, owned and operated by comedian Bernard Manning. Bingo then opened in the building, before being replaced as the Live Venue. Manchester City Council along with the Fire Service objected to the club staying open in 1977 due to the perilous state of the building. It re-opened, briefly, in 1978 as the New Electric Circus, but the damage to the business had been done and it closed once more, the builsding was demolished in early 1980.
Construction of the Baths began in 1915, however, as soon as the boiler house was completed and the main body of the pool area was watertight from the elements, the Government took over the building. It was used as a factory to build wings for aircraft which were then transported to Filton. The building was handed back to Bristol Corporation in 1919 at the end of the Great War. It took a further 3 years to complete and open the Baths in 1922. Now operating as a co-working office space for rental by start-up businesses, it is Listed Grade II.
Star went over to bingo, called Ritz bingo. This was the building’s last use before closure and demolition. I’m trying to find out if the reduction in seating was as a result of being split, with the former balcony retained as a cinema, and the stalls going over to bingo.
Between c1940-1945 used as an Army Kinema Corps cinema for troops in the nearby Preston Barracks. The cinema was owned by Gaiety (Brighton) Ltd., but operated by Randolph E. Richards' Picturedrome Cinemas based in Eastbourne.
Closed for bingo, this lasted from January 1968 to December 1969 when the Ace re-opened as a cinema once more.
Bingo sessions returned under the Vogue Bingo name under Classic before ceasing once more when the cinema was re-named Classic in anticipation of the former Curzon, then named Classic as well, closing.
The Classic, former Gaiety, closed for good 31/10/1980. The junction created when a supermarket was built was named after the cinema, but they chose Vogue from when it was a sex cinema!
The architect was J.H. Freer who was a partner in G.H. Haigh Co. Ltd. of Huddersfield. The cinema was built on the site of ‘Brooklands’, the home of Dr. William Skeels and his wife Ethel.
Interior decoration was by Mollo & Egan. The name, architect and interior designer’s were all favourites of the Shipman & King circuit, so this non-S&K venue is quite a surprise, I wonder as to whether it was planned for/by S&K?
This photo helps to understand the Cannon logo I feel, as you can see, the logo was, for a time, used by both Cannon & Classic, the logo representing ‘Cannon-Classic Cinemas’ (the three C’s), followed by an arrow to represent the forwards progression of the company… who knew that in years to come that the company would collapse spectacularly, having sold off a large portion of the ABC’s former circuit houses to be demolished during the 1980’s building boom… no doubt this action propped up Cannon for a while, but it couldn’t, and didn’t, last forever….
At the time of the fire in 2015, the majority of the organ was away for restoration/repairs so was saved from the ravages of the fire. Sadly, the console wasn’t so lucky and has had to be built again from photographs.
According to the website of the venue birchmeadow.org.uk the venue stationed the local ARP and Home Guard units during WW2. It became the Bladen Club in the mid 1960’s before being purchased by the Town Council becoming the community centre that it is today. Going full-circle, the centre now offers live theatre, music and cinema shows. Although owned by the Town Council, the venue is operated by a committee of volunteers.
The school still survives as an NHS centre, and is Listed Grade II. Designed in 1909 by County Architect A.V. Rowe, G.H. Gadd, a local architect supervised the building’s erection. The school opened in 1912. The school hall retains the original decoration, including wood panelling, herringbone pattern wood block flooring and barrel-vaulted ceiling. The school was called Parkside School.
Confirmed as having been demolished in 2022, it has been replaced by a massive Amazon distribution centre.
Built in 1908 as a Temperance Hall, it failed as such and was bought by Thomas Finlay who converted the hall into a variety hall and cinema in 1912. Later operated by Keith McDermid (who also managed the Kino, Butterknowle), the last film was shown on 10th November, 1962.
It was intended to open as a bingo club, The Crown Tombola and Social Club never happened. Instead it was turned into a garage which opened in 1964.
Operated by Ronnie and Vera Knight prior to closure. It was then converted into a doctor’s surgery before conversion to a private residence. This from the Tarleton History Group on Facebook.
I disagree, though it has still has signage, the stills/poster boards are empty, so this is after closure.
After closure in the 1950’s, the Palace Cinema became the Top Hat Club, owned and operated by comedian Bernard Manning. Bingo then opened in the building, before being replaced as the Live Venue. Manchester City Council along with the Fire Service objected to the club staying open in 1977 due to the perilous state of the building. It re-opened, briefly, in 1978 as the New Electric Circus, but the damage to the business had been done and it closed once more, the builsding was demolished in early 1980.
Architect was Dennis Hurford with F.G.W. Chamberlain.
Construction of the Baths began in 1915, however, as soon as the boiler house was completed and the main body of the pool area was watertight from the elements, the Government took over the building. It was used as a factory to build wings for aircraft which were then transported to Filton. The building was handed back to Bristol Corporation in 1919 at the end of the Great War. It took a further 3 years to complete and open the Baths in 1922. Now operating as a co-working office space for rental by start-up businesses, it is Listed Grade II.
Star went over to bingo, called Ritz bingo. This was the building’s last use before closure and demolition. I’m trying to find out if the reduction in seating was as a result of being split, with the former balcony retained as a cinema, and the stalls going over to bingo.
Streetview confirms that it has now been demolished.
Between c1940-1945 used as an Army Kinema Corps cinema for troops in the nearby Preston Barracks. The cinema was owned by Gaiety (Brighton) Ltd., but operated by Randolph E. Richards' Picturedrome Cinemas based in Eastbourne. Closed for bingo, this lasted from January 1968 to December 1969 when the Ace re-opened as a cinema once more. Bingo sessions returned under the Vogue Bingo name under Classic before ceasing once more when the cinema was re-named Classic in anticipation of the former Curzon, then named Classic as well, closing. The Classic, former Gaiety, closed for good 31/10/1980. The junction created when a supermarket was built was named after the cinema, but they chose Vogue from when it was a sex cinema!
The Oxford Music Hall was gutted by fire in 1892, the theatre was reconstructed, the architect was Charles E. Clayton of the firm Clayton & Black.
The architect was J.H. Freer who was a partner in G.H. Haigh Co. Ltd. of Huddersfield. The cinema was built on the site of ‘Brooklands’, the home of Dr. William Skeels and his wife Ethel.
It is currently being used as a Live music venue I believe, still using the Lyric name.
For a good few years the Lyric was the venue of a puppet theatre for children, as well as being used as rehearsal space by the local AmDram Society.
Still intact and in use again! The auditorium has been incorporated into the Forum complex.
Photo taken c1955.
Did this really open as the Mayfair? Is this an error?
Interior decoration was by Mollo & Egan. The name, architect and interior designer’s were all favourites of the Shipman & King circuit, so this non-S&K venue is quite a surprise, I wonder as to whether it was planned for/by S&K?
After closure as a cinema, the building’s last use was as a factory/storage facility, this lasted until at least the early 1970’s.
Poor quality, sorry, but this is the new façade of the Palace Cinema.
The converted shop.
This photo helps to understand the Cannon logo I feel, as you can see, the logo was, for a time, used by both Cannon & Classic, the logo representing ‘Cannon-Classic Cinemas’ (the three C’s), followed by an arrow to represent the forwards progression of the company… who knew that in years to come that the company would collapse spectacularly, having sold off a large portion of the ABC’s former circuit houses to be demolished during the 1980’s building boom… no doubt this action propped up Cannon for a while, but it couldn’t, and didn’t, last forever….
At the time of the fire in 2015, the majority of the organ was away for restoration/repairs so was saved from the ravages of the fire. Sadly, the console wasn’t so lucky and has had to be built again from photographs.