On the lookout for a new owner
Introduction
The photograph on this page of On the lookout for a new owner by Neil Owen as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
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On the lookout for a new owner
Image: © Neil Owen Taken: 11 Dec 2013
This part of Baldwin Street used to be the People's Palace Theatre. It was built for Horace and L. C. J. Livermore; it was constructed by local man C. A. Hayes, with the designs from James Hutton of Dundee. The theatre featured this Italian Renaissance style façade and could seat 3,000 customers. It opened on Boxing Night, 1892, although the interior was not entirely complete. A Mr A. R. Dean, of Birmingham supplied the upholstery, with Rogers and Davies of Blackburn creating the scenery. The theatre was converted into a cinema in 1912 but that closed in 1927. A Frank Verity altered the auditorium and reopened as New Palace Cinema. By 1952 it was part of another owner and they renamed it as The Gaumont. This ran until the Rank Organisation decided to let it go in 1980. From then it was used as a nightclub, being variously known as Ritzy, Creation and lastly as the Sports Café in 2006. Sadly it lasted only a year and has lain empty and forlorn since 2007, despite having Grade II listing.
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Image Location
Latitude
51.453386
Longitude
-2.595761