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Homepage History The Exterior Foyer Stalls/Main Hall Circle Stairs Circle Site Updates Links
| The Exterior Click on the pictures for larger versions. When built, the building was finished in unclad red brick, and was not whitewashed over until after conversion into a bingo hall circa 1975. During World War Two, and anti-aircraft gun was installed on the roof, but never fired, in case the force of the shot casued it to fall through...  Looking towards the club from the east end of Portland Road. It's clear in this picture how much the club stands out on this road, which mostly comprises of restaurants and small shops with flats above, built in a vaguely Arts and Crafts style.  Closer in this time, and this shot reveals the neglected state of the exterior-note the bush growing out of the wall in the centre right of the picture, plus the tide mark where the repainting stopped when it was last done ten years ago. The blocked up door in the alcove in the centre of the building led to a sun terrace originally, the bricking up of which made the rooms on the first floor nearest the camera inaccessable.  Looking over the car park to the large back wall at the stage end. The projecting structure in the middle used to be the boiler room area, and the replacement gas-fired heating unit (which was notoriously useless) was housed to the right of the building. Did the circular recess in the middle top of the wall house a clock at one point?  Taken three days after closure, the club has already been boarded up. on the top left of the building, the two skylights visible on the roof provided ventilation for the projection room, apparently because of fumes from the carbon-rod projection equipment. Incidentally, this room was totally rebuilt as offices after closure as a cinema.  Looking directly up from the front doors, up to the bell tower. The old photo on the splash page seems to show some sort of statues on either side of the tower-what were they? |
website, 2008.