GALLERY- February 2004

Recent photographs of derelict cinemas in West Yorkshire, by Ian Grey

Last updated February 2004

	The facade of the former 1932 Leeds Paramount which was the later Odeon until unexpectedly closing in late 2001, just a couple of weeks before it would have played Harry potter. It stood abandoned for two years with plans for possible apartments mooted. Demolition has now started but it seems to be internal stripping at present. These are dusk shots, hence the streetlights and false colour.
	The website of the demolition Company can be seen on the top banner, although the site does not have any mention of this particular project yet. A large number of windows are open at various levels down the facade. A number of windows are actually blind, as they actually flank the auditorium wall.
	A closer inspection of the corner entrance shows the removal of the canopy with just a couple of jutting girders remaining. The blockwork is possibly from later re-organisations of the lobby space to include confection sales, with superficial cladding now removed.
	Round the back, the structure and roof are essentially still complete, although access doors & windows are wide open above ground level. A small fenced compound in the car park has a number of Portakabins for the demolition Company and there is a large industrial skip in front of the former stage dock. Umbilical pipes and cables provide water and power to the builders compound. The rectangular bulk with the white patent stone detailing is the stage house. Like all Paramounts, the stage was wide & high but rather shallow, being intended for Cine-Variety rather than large 3D scenic elements common today.
	Next, we head a few miles west, from Leeds City Centre to Bradford City Centre. The New Victoria opened in 1930 and seated more than 3300 on three levels with an unusual circle without any gallery overhang. It became a Gaumont in 1950 and then Odeon after a rather savage twinning in 1969 (which created two concrete shells within the upper auditorium space with the stalls remaining on Bingo) but was a successful cinema and a third screen was added in the defunct ballroom in 1988. It closed in 2000 when the Leeds/Bradford Multiplex opened (at Thornbury) and has stood empty ever since. It is currently being cleaned up externally.
	This view shows a glimpse of its neighbour, the very successful Alhambra Theatre. Although now looking very shabby, the odeon is much more dignified and architecturally composed than its pleasure palace variety theatre next door.
	This is a view of the stage right auditorium wall. The dock doors and stage door were down this lane in the distance. The dock was linteled, bricked up above and turned into a normal exit when the stalls and stage were converted to Bingo in the 1960s. Above the false ceiling of the former stalls remnants of plasterwork could be found on the circle front below the new inserted slab creating the two new screens upstairs.
	Another view of the facade. The wing to the right of the picture originally housed the ballroom, which was converted into an extra screen. Behind the back-lit light box in the centre of the facade is a recess thought to be for the original neon clip-on signage letters similar in principle to the Odeon Leicester Square upper level when first built, but recently discovered to be just an access area to the fluorescent backlighting.

	This rooftop shot shows the vast bulk of the building. Note the unusual mansard style stage roof (there are three grids staggered in height towards the back of the stage), more dressing rooms stage left, the raised centre roof covering the auditorium dome and the bits added between the twin towers to accommodate rooftop projection rooms added in the conversion. The fly tower and turrets of the Alhambra can be seen beyond. Beneath the Ice Rink tower block is the NMFPT and Pictureville Cinema.

	Back to Leeds, and the ABC Vicar Lane, forgotten, but not gone. This closed in the late 90s and has remained abandoned and derelict ever since.

	Another view of the ABC from Vicar Lane.

Top