Just stumbled across this -

 

IT is the end of an era as workmen move in to demolish the former Odeon cinema building in Bolton town centre.

 

Developer Woodthorpe Homes wants to turn the venue -which also hosted pop music acts such as Roy Orbison, Chuck Berry and the Bee Gees - into an 11-storey hotel, residential and retail complex.

 

The Manchester-based firm submitted initial plans to Bolton Council on Monday and demolition work has already begun on the Art Deco building.

 

The scheme includes 50 luxury apartments, offices, basement parking for 86 cars and offices and shops on the ground floor. The hotel section would occupy up to the eighth floor.

 

Cllr Ebrahim Adia, Bolton Council's executive member for development, said: "This scheme is part of the wider cultural and innovation quarter for the town centre.

 

"Hopefully, it would fit in quite nicely with the concept of a culture and leisure area.

 

I've seen the drawings and they look very impressive."

 

More than 2,600 people packed the Odeon Theatre on its first night - August 21, 1937 - when the First Battalion of the Royal Scots struck up the opening music.

 

The audience was treated to the Gaumont British Sound News, a cartoon, and three films, including the feature film, Dark Journey, starring Conrad Veidt and Vivien Leigh.

 

For the next 45 years, it was one of Bolton's best-loved venues and hosted 1960s acts such as Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Searchers, Dusty Springfield and Freddie and the Dreamers. Following interior rebuilding, its three screens showed thousands of films before it closed in January, 1983, when it was turned into a bingo hall amid protests from cinemagoers.

 

After a ??370,000 refit, it was opened by Paul Shane, star of the BBC comedy series, Hi-De-Hi, in February, 1983.

 

In later years, the old cinema was used by Mecca until it moved its bingo hall operation to the current site off Moor Lane in November, 2004.

 

http://www.thisisbolton.co.uk/mostpopular....on.php#comments

 

I used to go along to the Saturday morning kids club as a child - still remember parts of the 'anthem' we had to sing which went something like this -

 

We come along on a Saturday morning - greeting everybody with a smile.

As members of the Odeon (?) Club we all intend to be - good citizens when we grow up and champions of the free.

 

 

 

There won't be anything from my childhood days left soon!!!

 

Bloody hell, I remember queuing for Star Wars when it first opened there; also saw some shite there as a kid though. "Island at the Top of The World" in about 1975 springs to mind

Nice picture there sluffy!

Spotted an old Ford Anglia and an Austin Cambridge.

Bloody hell, I remember queuing for Star Wars when it first opened there; also saw some shite there as a kid though. "Island at the Top of The World" in about 1975 springs to mind

My first memory there was watching Puff the Magic Dragon!

I think its a huge mistake knocking it down. It could have been a crackin' place for a live music venue. What a shame. As if we need another hotel complex in Bolton

 

PS I saw Blue Lagoon there ::::::::::::::

Kinell, this site depresses me sometimes. Many Saturday morning happy hours there as a kid. General riotous behaviour including popcorn fights, chucking American Cream Soda out o't circle on to the unsuspecting gits below and letting a choc ice go soggy and then launching it at the bird with the torch when she was legging down the aisle to sort out some other trouble down at the front.

Where can kids get good, developmental childhood experiences like that these days?

American Cream Soda

Bolty you owd c??nt that took me back! - "American Cream Soda " got me thinking can you still get it and it turns out :

http://www.aquarterof.co.uk/cream-soda-she...soda-p-370.html

Bloody hell it's a building for god's sake. Yes, we've all had some 'memories' there, but people please lets move on!

Bloody hell it's a building for god's sake. Yes, we've all had some 'memories' there, but people please lets move on!

 

Fooking left wing, commie, pinko freaks - no sense of decorum or history

Bolty you owd c??nt

 

I resemble that remark Who'd o thowt tha could still get it? Met be a good way to smuggle chan?

The Odeon now - picture kindly posted by Bruce on TW

 

 

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/boards/viewt...p=213710#213710

Its about time that this shitehole of a town centre got a facelift and got rid of all the old decrepid slums. Only problem is though, the apartments may go the same way as Marsden House. They will fill it with asylum seekers and turn it into a ghettto

Its about time that this shitehole of a town centre got a facelift and got rid of all the old decrepid slums. Only problem is though, the apartments may go the same way as Marsden House. They will fill it with asylum seekers and turn it into a ghettto

 

Exactly, WTF would you want to live in Bolton town centre? There's fook all there, fook all to do, the shops are shite and there's not a single decent restaurant.

 

The council are providing most border jumpers with a better standard of living than me.

Exactly, WTF would you want to live in Bolton town centre? There's fook all there, fook all to do, the shops are shite and there's not a single decent restaurant.

 

The council are providing most border jumpers with a better standard of living than me.

 

Talking to a letting agent in town and I can confirm that Marsden House has become over-run with AS. Also heard a whisper that some investors are now having to sell their apartments for a lot less than they expected.

Talking to a letting agent in town and I can confirm that Marsden House has become over-run with AS. Also heard a whisper that some investors are now having to sell their apartments for a lot less than they expected.

 

I lived there for 9 months when it first got built, it was nice to start off with, then they started letting tramps on housing benefit live there.

Talking to a letting agent in town and I can confirm that Marsden House has become over-run with AS. Also heard a whisper that some investors are now having to sell their apartments for a lot less than they expected.

 

every cloud

They're knocking the Odeon down? I thought they were just letting it crumble to dust.

 

It's a prime location for a hotel development. Who wouldn't want a room with a view of the derelict Water Place site? Or the bus station? Or the long-deserted social security offices?

 

 

Who'd o thowt tha could still get it? Met be a good way to smuggle chan?

And talk properly, for Gudni's sake!

They're building flats near the lads Club, a huge on where the George is & probably anywhere else in town they can manage. Town centre living - it's the future

 

It is f??cking great when you can walk home form a night out in 5 mins, though. It takes Carlos a good 5 minutes longer ::::::::::::::

They're knocking the Odeon down? I thought they were just letting it crumble to dust.

 

It's a prime location for a hotel development. Who wouldn't want a room with a view of the derelict Water Place site? Or the bus station? Or the long-deserted social security offices?

And talk properly, for Gudni's sake!

 

The new magistrates court is going where the water place used to be.

 

they'll probably flatten most of the shite around there before long anyway.

The new magistrates court is going where the water place used to be

 

You mean there's a spare bit of land that isn't going to have flats built on it?

 

Blimey.

Fooking left wing, commie, pinko freaks - no sense of decorum or history

 

 

Yeah - modernism is the future! Sorry posted that at silly o'clock on Sunday morning as Crawley White Jr had just got back to sleep after a prolonged bout of crying and I was wake awake and in a crappy mood!

 

Actually be sad to see it go - watched Karate Kid 2 there and all the audience started shout 'Danny, Danny' - wouldn't get that in a mutliplex. Also I learnt a great deal about wigs from that strange shop next door after standing inmline for about two hours to watch Ghostbusters or some other rubbish.

 

Also rember getting in for Body of Evidence even though I was clearly underage and seeing Madonna in a whole new light!

Fooking left wing, commie, pinko freaks - no sense of decorum or history

 

 

Yeah - modernism is the future! Sorry posted that at silly o'clock on Sunday morning as Crawley White Jr had just got back to sleep after a prolonged bout of crying and I was wake awake and in a crappy mood!

 

Actually be sad to see it go - watched Karate Kid 2 there and all the audience started shout 'Danny, Danny' - wouldn't get that in a mutliplex. Also I learnt a great deal about wigs from that strange shop next door after standing inmline for about two hours to watch Ghostbusters or some other rubbish.

 

Also rember getting in for Body of Evidence even though I was clearly underage and seeing Madonna in a whole new light!

 

Sorry - i've got the wrong pictures! The only thing I remember about the Odeon is watching The Gingerbread Man there and a rumour that Jimi Hendrx once did a gig there.

Yeah - modernism is the future! Sorry posted that at silly o'clock on Sunday morning as Crawley White Jr had just got back to sleep after a prolonged bout of crying and I was wake awake and in a crappy mood!

 

Actually be sad to see it go - watched Karate Kid 2 there and all the audience started shout 'Danny, Danny' - wouldn't get that in a mutliplex. Also I learnt a great deal about wigs from that strange shop next door after standing inmline for about two hours to watch Ghostbusters or some other rubbish.

 

Also rember getting in for Body of Evidence even though I was clearly underage and seeing Madonna in a whole new light!

 

Sorry - i've got the wrong pictures! The only thing I remember about the Odeon is watching The Gingerbread Man there and a rumour that Jimi Hendrx once did a gig there.

 

Ha ha ! i remember that little wig shop next to the other cinema ! - Dimples it think it was called !

Wasn't Dimples the shop on Bradshawgate next to the other cinema?

Wasn't Dimples the shop on Bradshawgate next to the other cinema?

 

you're not wrong, baldy! next to the dance factory!

Button it rug head!

Edited February 26, 200719 yr by Big City Girl