|
|
||
|
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Morecambe Theatres and Halls Devonshire Hall - Morecambe Baths, Palace, and Aquarium - Alhambra Theatre - Winter Gardens and Victoria Pavilion Theatre Arthur Lloyd is known to have performed in Morecambe in 1886, 1879 |
||
|
Devonshire Hall, 13-17 Devonshire Road, Morecambe Later The Hothouse
Above - The Devonshire Hall, Morecambe in 2008 - Courtesy Peter Charlton
Right - A contemporary cutting from the 'Dangerfield General Entertainment Guide of 1901 - Courtesy Roger Fox. In 2009 the building is something of a hidden gem as although the Ground Floor is in use, and has been for many years, by a company called 'More Music' as a musical community centre, studio, rehearsals rooms, and offices, collectively called 'The Hothouse', above them, undisturbed and unused for years, lies the remains of the original Music Hall.
Above - Above the false ceiling over the Hothouse can be seen the remains of the original Devonshire Hall, Morecambe - Photo Courtesy Peter Charlton 2008. The upstairs of the Devonshire Hall was used as a Snooker Hall called 'The Dev' from the 1930s whilst downstairs was used as a paint factory and then a shop until More Music took over the lower part in 1996. In 2008 however, the company acquired the whole building and hope to be able to incorporate the original upstairs of the Music Hall into their workspace so that they can become a music training and education centre for the North West. |
||
|
Morecambe Baths, Palace, and Aquarium - Regent Park, Regent Road, Morecambe.
Above - Advertisement from a September 1st 1879 programme for Morecambe Aquarium advertising Arthur Lloyd & his company appearing in 'Two Hours Of Genuine Fun' for the following week.
|
||
|
Abandoned from the mid 1890s, the land was eventually bought by Morecambe Council in 1924. Over £25,000 was spent in creating the new Park which opened in 1926. The Park has recently had a face-lift and remains popular for its fine bowling greens.
Above - Programme cover for Morecambe Aquarium
for week of 8th September 1879
|
||
|
Above - Programme for Morecambe Aquarium for week
of 8th September 1879
|
||
|
Above - Back of Programme for Morecambe Aquarium
for week of 8th September 1879 |
||
|
Above - Morecambe Alhambra Theatre and sea front Promenade - From a postcard 1910 The Morecambe Alhambra Theatre was built in 1901 but was converted to a cinema in 1930 and gutted by fire internally in 1970. The building is now used as a disco and although the fly tower is still present the stage has been bricked off. |
||
|
The Winter Gardens and Victoria Pavilion Theatre, Morecambe
Above - The Morecambe Winter Gardens from a Postcard
Right and Below - A Programme for 'The Charlie Chester Show' at the Morecambe Winter Gardens in 1957 - Courtesy Susan Clarke.
You may like to visit the Theatre's own Website here. |
||
|
Above - A page from the catalogue of Dean and Co who were theatre decorators, providing plasterwork, seating, drapes and most other decorative items to make your theatre look its best. This shows their work at Morecambe's Winter Gardens' Victoria Pavilion Theatre, note the Opera House name which was never actually used, however the architects and the fact that Matcham was only the Consultant Architect are confirmed - Courtesy Roger Fox. |
||
|
The Winter Gardens and Victoria
Pavilion Theatre, Morecambe
Above - The Auditorium of the Winter Gardens' Victoria Pavilion Theatre, Morecambe in 1990 - Courtesy Ted Bottle.
This theatre never really paid its way during the Moss years and would be closed for long periods in the Winter. It was very successful however in the summer for a long period of time when it was the home of the Black and White Minstrels. Right - The Auditorium and Stage of the Winter Gardens'
Victoria Pavilion Theatre, Morecambe during assessment work for the
proposed renovation of the Theatre in September 2008 - Courtesy Roger
Fox. Note the act number boards which are still in place and are in
the unusual position at the base of the proscenium columns. Louis Benjiman who later became the last managing director of Moss Empires was the first Manager for the company from 1954 when it took over. He was succeeded by Wililiam Bevan who stayed there until the complex closed in the early sixties. The objectionable Scottish stage manager from the Leeds Empire was transferred here after it closed he was supposed to be well out of the way here. He soon created the same bad atmosphere backstage as he had done at Leeds. The manager was taxing him about his behavior outside on the fairground one morning and the objectionable stage manager punched him on the jaw and laid him out. That was the end of the objectionable Scottish man as far as Moss Empire was concerned and it was not before time.
Above - Auditorium of the Winter Gardens' Victoria Pavilion Theatre, Morecambe in 1990 - Courtesy Ted Bottle. When the populations of the Lancashire and Yorkshire industrial towns and cities started to go to Spain for their holidays Morecambe quickly became a cemetery with lights as Eric Morecambe called it. The Winter Gardens closed in the mid sixties and the complex fell into dereliction. The fair ground was closed and cleared and all buildings within the complex except the theatre were demolished. The poor old place now stands forlornly in the middle of waste ground but it is intact. There are plans to reopen it as a tribute to the late Thora Hird who was born in the town but there is a desperate shortage of money for the project so it is doubtful if it will happen. There is also the question of viability because Morecambe is now almost a ghost town. The theatre is a listed building and it would be nice to see the dear old place open again. Above text by Donald Auty from his article on Moss Empires in the 50s.
Above - The Auditorium and Stage of the Winter Gardens' Victoria Pavilion Theatre, Morecambe during assessment work for the proposed renovation of the Theatre in September 2008 - Courtesy Roger Fox. The Morecambe Winter Gardens' Victoria Pavilion is currently undergoing assessment work for the proposed renovation of the Theatre. You may like to visit the Theatre's own Website here. |
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
The
Devonshire Hall, Morecambe was built as a 
This
popular park was once Morecambe's principal entertainment centre
called the Summer Gardens. Built in the 19th Century they included
a circus, ballroom, aquarium, conservatory,
café, racecourse and a boating pool. The racecourse was surrounded
by a wide dyke which was used for skating in the winter. 
The
Morecambe Winter Gardens' Theatre opened as a 
The
Winter Gardens closed in the mid sixties and the complex fell into dereliction,
and then the Theatre itself closed in 1977. Since then the charity organisation
The Friends of The Winter Gardens has worked to protect the building,
and campaigned for its restoration. In 2006 they formed a Trust called
the Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust Limited, who in February
the same year purchased the building. The Trustees say 'they are working
hard with the help of officers of Lancaster City Council and the North
West Development Agency to put together capital funding for the interior
restoration,' and are hoping to gain part of the £45m of grants
in the Government's coastal resorts funding. The Trust has also put
together an application for Lottery funding. If the Trust is successful
then it is hoped that restoration of the Winter Gardens' Victoria Pavilion
Theatre will be completed within the next four years.
This
theatre was part of a complex that contained a ballroom, bars and
restaurants and there was also a fairground at the rear. It is one
of the largest in Britain, almost 3000 seats and was opened in 
