# Theatre. Manchester. July 2012



## NakedEye (Jan 18, 2013)

Opened as a music hall on October 10, 1901, Hulme Hippodrome was once seen as one of Manchester's finest theatres, with its gilded decorations, velvet seats and huge auditorium.
Tunnels are even believed to have been built from the theatre to the nearby Junction Pub and into the city centre for performers to use.It was one of Manchester’s hottest nightspots, where stars like the Beatles and Laurel and Hardy played to packed houses.
The building was remodelled in the 1950s to become a theatre, seating an audience of 3,000.
In 1962 the Theatre was converted for Bingo and Casino use. before it was closed down in 1986. 

The Grand Junction Theatre and Floral Hall, with a capacity of 3,000, was built for melodrama, with the Playhouse next door designed as a music hall. In 1905 the two venues changed names and the newly christened Hulme Hippodrome with its larger auditorium became the new music hall. Later on, the playhouse was taken over by the BBC, and it was here the first radio recording of The Beatles was made.

Now there are plans to restore the huge Grade-II listed building, which contains an ornate three-tier theatre, ballroom and restaurant.
Youth Village, a not-for-profit enterprise, have unveiled proposals to turn the building into an arts centre and hub for community groups across Manchester.

Literally down the road from my home, a quite remarkable discovery last year, been past a 1000 times without knowing what lurked inside!

A photograph showing the Hippodrome when it was open in it's early days



tumblr_lurs3ms0zw1qfz7a3 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr

In the basement, dark and unforgiving....lacking in light, a real challenge for my Nikon..



1 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


The battery room



2 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


The underground original changing rooms for the theatre



3 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


The left over equipment from the bingo hall which it was used for in the 197os/80s left in the cellar



4 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr

In one of the underground changing rooms are stacks of the bingo cards left over and unused



5 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





6 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


At the end of the underground corridor, wandering through the pitch black with a torch one finds the toilet from hell!



7 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


Rear of the stage the steps to the upstairs changing rooms and store rooms



8 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


In one of the upstairs changing rooms to the rear of the stage are old toothpaste and cigarette packets from the 70's/80's along with a stack of old televisions and bingo equipment



9 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





10 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





11a by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


Another upstairs changing room



11 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


Bingo balls left in a downstairs sink



12 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


The theatre itself, a cacophony of bright colours, reds, purples. greens & gold gilded Rococo plaster...it's condition is remarkable except for the roof which had dissapeared over the years



13 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





14 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





15 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





16 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





17 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





18 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





19 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


Matchbox found on the stage, possibly from the 1920's from research done



20 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





21 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


View from the stage looking out at the auditorium



22 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


A rear bathroom 



23 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





24 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





25 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


Old organ in great condition



27 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


Downstairs bathrooms, like stepping back in time to the 1960s!



28 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr





29 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr


Finally a programme , looks 1960 ish...



_JHL6780 by NaKed-Eye, on Flickr

A remarkable place, I really hope the funding is found to restore this magnificent building full of history...


----------



## Silent Hill (Jan 18, 2013)

Fantastic report on a superb building. I too hope the funding is a success  Well done mate


----------



## Ramsgatonian (Jan 18, 2013)

Brilliant set of pictures, I love the processing...

Thanks for sharing!


----------



## Bones out (Jan 19, 2013)

Wow, just wow!


----------



## UE-OMJ (Jan 19, 2013)

Truly spectacular! Really enjoyed this, and really envious


----------



## shatners (Jan 19, 2013)

Really nice set of pictures, thanks for sharing them... do you know what the battery room was for?


----------



## lx_manuk (Jan 19, 2013)

Battery room's usually in such building's run the emergency lighting systems/secondary lighting. Nowadays replaced by complicated switch over/computer controlled stuff, but in older buildings you will find little pea lamps glowing all the time which is what the batteries run.


----------



## shot_in_the_dark (Jan 19, 2013)

lovely stuff this, thanks for sharing


----------



## NakedEye (Jan 19, 2013)

UE-OMJ said:


> Truly spectacular! Really enjoyed this, and really envious



Thanks  Access is easy really if you want to go as you just need to ask the caretaker and he will let you in if you are there to photogrpah it as the rest of the building is in use as a youth centre. Quite a few bands go there to shoot videos aswell.



shatners said:


> Really nice set of pictures, thanks for sharing them... do you know what the battery room was for?



The battery room as far as I know is thought to be the only power system of its type still installed in any building. It's precise function i'm not sure LX's reply seems plausable though!


----------



## flyboys90 (Jan 19, 2013)

Beautiful building worthy of saving,great photos thanks for sharing.


----------



## sonyes (Jan 19, 2013)

Love that! Great report and pics, thanks for sharing.


----------



## lx_manuk (Jan 19, 2013)

I can't be 100% sure on my battery story - but I work in theatre's up and down the land and it's a very common way of doing it... so I put 2 and 2 together. That can of course equal 5!


----------



## steve2109 (Jan 19, 2013)

great set of pics. lovely colours, thanks for sharing


----------



## Sshhhh... (Jan 19, 2013)

Would love to see this place and never done a theatre! Looks fantastic, thanks


----------



## MasterHowl (Mar 20, 2013)

NakedEye said:


> Thanks  Access is easy really if you want to go as you just need to ask the caretaker and he will let you in if you are there to photogrpah it as the rest of the building is in use as a youth centre. Quite a few bands go there to shoot videos aswell.



Did you just turn up and happen to find the caretaker, or did you get in touch with him/her first?


----------



## TeeJF (Mar 20, 2013)

Oh my Lord! Those are superb pictures! well done. What an amazing site!!!

I used to work just up the road at the BBC's theatre in Hulme but I had no idea about this place. 

Loved this report.


----------



## lingaz (Mar 29, 2013)

thanks for sharing,  great pics


----------



## Bignickb (Mar 29, 2013)

It's such a beautiful building inside. That stage curtain is gone now, I used high powered LED lights to illuminate and annoy the many pigeons.
Great work!


----------



## chambta (Apr 3, 2013)

Absolutely beautiful pictures. Must have been a real pleasure to be there.


----------



## sparky. (Apr 5, 2013)

wow this looks amazing some of it looks in great condition. fantastic selection of pictures


----------



## demon-pap (Apr 5, 2013)

Excellent report very well done thanks


----------



## Nefariousink (Apr 10, 2013)

some absolutely stunning photos here


----------



## NakedEye (Apr 16, 2013)

MasterHowl said:


> Did you just turn up and happen to find the caretaker, or did you get in touch with him/her first?



Well, originally I was just wandering around it as I live around the corner and I asked a local chap what it was..he said to contact the caretaker who is always around this site as the building is still used as a youth centre....if you go down on any given day he will be available usually inside....you can go inside and see if he is in there....I then made arrangements to go into the theatre as he will show you the way in to that part of the building....it's worth it as it's quite amazing inside...a cacophony of bright colours and a million pigeons! good luck...


----------



## NakedEye (Apr 16, 2013)

Cheers guys for the kind words....still hoping to see it renovated but the money needed is vast... Manchester Uni are supposed to be coughing up some cash as a way of saying a thankyou for pretty much building student accomodation on every blade of grass in the Hulme area and creating a modern concrete jungle....time will tell if they do though....


----------

