Temperance Hall
55 Parker Lane,
Burnley,
BB11 2BY
55 Parker Lane,
Burnley,
BB11 2BY
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Burnley has the distinction of opening England’s second Temperance Hall in 1837. The New Temperance Hall and Social Rooms on Parker Lane was opened on Wednesday 8th December 1909. Above the newspaper announcement of the opening ceremony, there was an advertisement for Alliance Animated Pictures exhibiting there nightly at 7:30 pm. These screening continued until at least February 1910. In late-1912, the operators announced “Owing to the retirement through health considerations of Mr. Lund, we have decided to run our High Class animated pictures on Saturdays only after Saturday 7th December.”
Trying to follow what was happening at the Temperance Hall from items in the local papers is rather difficult. There seemed to be no regular advertising until late-June 1920; even though the likes of the Alhambra Cinema, Coliseum Cinema, Tivoli Cinema and Pentridge Cinema were already regular display-advertisers. Indeed, the newspapers carried notices of other events and meetings being held in the hall, particularly in the daytime. However, from mid-1920 there were regular newspaper advertisements for film programmes six nights per week, with a programme change on Thursdays.
In February 1921 the licensing magistrates inspected and reported on Burnley’s twelve halls. The newspaper summary about the Temperance Hall makes interesting reading. “There is seating accommodation in the pit for 568 persons. The seats are rows of forms (tip-up), and the distance between the rows from 2ft 2in to 2ft 6in, and some of them were found not to be secured to the floor. The manager stated that the floor was washed twice a year, which the committee do not consider sufficiently often. There are four exits from the pit, which appear sufficient. In the balcony there is seating accommodation for 328 persons, which consists of tip-up chairs in rows, there being no centre passage or gangway. There are four exits from the balcony".
The Kinematograph Year Book for 1927 has the Temperance Hall operated as part of the J. Bradley Circuit managed from the Empress Cinema in Sandy Gate. In KYB 1931, 4 of Burnley’s 15 cinemas did not have sound; and Bradley’s circuit accounted for 3 of those.
In September 1931 Bradley applied for licences to alter the Temperance Hall and the Royal Cinema for installing sound. In November 1931 he received permission to vary the submitted plan for the Temperance Hall.
In KYB 1935, the Temperance Hall was owned by New Empire (Burnley) Ltd. and had British Talking Pictures(BTP) sound. Seating was given as 900 and the proscenium width as 24ft. Seating rose to 920 in KYB 1938, but slumped to 717 in KYB 1940.
By KYB 1948 the cinema had been acquired by the small local cinema circuit, Northern Operators Ltd., whose offices were at the Pentridge Cinema on Holmes Street. The Temperance Hall was listed in KYB 1954, and was advertising in December 1954, but closed before KYB 1957.
The building still stands, though empty and advertised for leasing (2015), having most recently been a leisure and exercise facility. By 2022 it was operating as the Crystal Banqueting Hall & Conference Centre.
Contributed by
H J Hill
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The original licence was granted on 17 November 1909. The applicants were Burnley United Temperance Society (also known as the Burnley Blue Ribbon Union) who described the building as being on part of the site of the former foundry of Messrs Butterworth and Dickinson. It was constructed to the designs of architects Messrs G and S Keighley of Nicholas Street and included a fire-proof “cinematograph chamber . . cut-off from the hall itself” which contained “two cinematographs, electric motors, switches, telephones, etc”. Building commenced in June and completed in November.
The gallery was described as running along three sides of the hall, with the “cinematograph chamber” at the rear of the central portion.
It is clear the Temperance Society intended it to be a picture theatre; and they requested permission in the licence for matinees on Tuesdays and Saturdays.