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===Blackburn Hall=== |
===Blackburn Hall=== |
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''See main article: [[Blackburn Hall]]'' |
''See main article: [[Blackburn Hall]]'' |
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[[File:Blackburn Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1294341.jpg| |
[[File:Blackburn Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1294341.jpg|right|thumb|'''Blackburn Hall, which now stands on the site of the Rothwell Empire Cinema.''']] |
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In 1959, the Rothwell Urban District Council acquired the building from Rothwell Public Service Ltd. It was renovated in 14 days, with new tables, chairs and strip carpets, and opened as Blackburn Hall. However, Chairman of the Halls Committee Cllr. P McWilliam admitted that attendees should make allowances for the state of the hall and its lack of amenities. Local historian, Howard Benson, claims that the hall was named after Arthur Blackburn, a former councillor and Chairman of the Rothwell Urban District Council.<ref>(Benson, 2022)</ref> |
In 1959, the Rothwell Urban District Council acquired the building from Rothwell Public Service Ltd. It was renovated in 14 days, with new tables, chairs and strip carpets, and opened as Blackburn Hall. However, Chairman of the Halls Committee Cllr. P McWilliam admitted that attendees should make allowances for the state of the hall and its lack of amenities. Local historian, Howard Benson, claims that the hall was named after Arthur Blackburn, a former councillor and Chairman of the Rothwell Urban District Council.<ref>(Benson, 2022)</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Latest revision as of 10:53, 5 August 2024
The Rothwell Empire Cinema was a cinema that opened on 8th May 1913. The cinema closed between 1933 and 1935.
By October 1935, the cinema had been converted into the Empire Ballroom and was given a new modern façade. It was replaced by Blackburn Hall in 1959, which is now a community theatre and centre with a flat floored auditorium and new stage constructed behind the former screen proscenium.
History
The Rothwell Empire Cinema opened on the 8th May 1913 with a capacity of over 650. The opening was attended by local dignitaries, including councillors and clergy. The first manager was J. Maurice Woffenden.[1] The price of a ticket in 1913 was 2d., 4d. or 6d. for adults and half price for children, expect for 2d. seats.[2] In 2017, those prices would equate to approximately £0.65, £1.30 and £1.95.[3]
By kind permission of Leeds Libraries, Leodis.net.
In July 1924, during a children's pageant, a piece of buring carbon fell from the limelight apparatus and set fire to a girl's dress. Her mother, Mrs. Hirst, said that she was unharmed.[4]
In March 1931, the Rothwell Empire Cinema started showing 'talkies' (films with sound) using a Western Electric sound outfit, while also retaining its orchestra. There was a ceremony that was opened by Mrs Lunn J.P. to a packed house.[5]
On the 3rd May 1932, the manager of Rothwell Empire Cinema, Frederick William Taylor, was found dead in the cinema. The cinema had temporarily closed the prior Monday and Taylor was due to meet staff members at the Empire to settle various matters, however they found the Empire locked. Taylor did not return home and the cinema operator alerted the police. The police forced their way into the Empire and found Taylor lying next to a tube with a gas tap turned on.[6] An inquest ruled his death a suicide, caused by a fit of depression. It was noted that he had been worried about the cinema being closed the prior week.[7]
The cinema was operated by the Rothwell Empire Ltd,[8] which also operated the Outwood Empire Cinema.[9] The company still operated the cinema until at least 1931[10] but by 1933 Rothwell Public Service Ltd operated the Rothwell Empire Cinema.[11]
The cinema closed sometime between 1933 and 1935 as it is listed in the Kinematograph Year Book for 1933[12] but is listed as closed in the 1935 year book.[13]
Empire Ballroom
The Rothwell Empire Cinema was known as the Empire Ballroom by 29th October 1935, when the Yorkshire Post reported that Viscount Halifax would speak at the Empire Ballroom the next evening in favour of general election candidate Gwendoline Beaumont.[14] Beaumont was running against incumbent William Lunn. However, articles from after this date also refer to the building as Rothwell Empire.
Blackburn Hall
See main article: Blackburn Hall
In 1959, the Rothwell Urban District Council acquired the building from Rothwell Public Service Ltd. It was renovated in 14 days, with new tables, chairs and strip carpets, and opened as Blackburn Hall. However, Chairman of the Halls Committee Cllr. P McWilliam admitted that attendees should make allowances for the state of the hall and its lack of amenities. Local historian, Howard Benson, claims that the hall was named after Arthur Blackburn, a former councillor and Chairman of the Rothwell Urban District Council.[15]
References
- ↑ (The Bioscope, 1913)
- ↑ (Skyrack Courier, 1913)
- ↑ (Currency converter: 1270–2017, no date)
- ↑ (Yorkshire Post, 1924)
- ↑ (Yorkshire Evening Post, 1931)
- ↑ (Yorkshire Evening Post, 1932)
- ↑ (Kinematograph Weekly, 1932)
- ↑ (1920 Kinematograph Year Book and Directory, 1919, p.309)
- ↑ (Hooley, no date)
- ↑ (1931 Kinematograph Year Book, 1931, p.450)
- ↑ (1933 Kinematograph Year Book, 1933, p.495)
- ↑ (1933 Kinematograph Year Book, 1933, p.495)
- ↑ (1935 Kinematograph Year Book, 1935, p.546)
- ↑ (Yorkshire Post, 1935)
- ↑ (Benson, 2022)
- 1920 Kinematograph Year Book and Directory (1919). London: Kinematograph Publications Ltd. Available at: http://archive.org/details/1920-kinematograph-year-book (Accessed: 25 May 2024).
- 1931 Kinematograph Year Book (1931). London: Kinematograph Publications Ltd. Available at: http://archive.org/details/kinematographyea1931kine (Accessed: 25 May 2024).
- 1933 Kinematograph Year Book (1933). London: Kinematograph Publications Ltd. Available at: http://archive.org/details/kinematographyea00kine (Accessed: 25 May 2024).
- 1935 Kinematograph Year Book (1935). London: Kinematograph Publications Ltd. Available at: http://archive.org/details/kinematographyea22unse (Accessed: 25 May 2024).
- Benson, H. (2022) ‘The Blackburn Hall was named after Arthur Blackburn...’. Facebook. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2503503913221143/permalink/3198375417067319 (Accessed: 5 August 2024, Archive: https://archive.is/yEnVY)
- The Bioscope (1913) ‘A Recent Rothwell Opening’, 29 May, p. 613.
- Currency converter: 1270–2017 (no date) The National Archives. Available at: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ (Accessed: 25 May 2024).
- Hooley, M. (no date) The Story Of Outwood Empire, Outwood Community Video. Available at: https://outwoodcommunityvideo.co.uk/the-story-of-outwood-empire-2.html (Accessed: 25 May 2024).
- Kinematograph Weekly (1932) ‘Rothwell Manager’s Suicide’, 12 May, no. 1308, vol. 183, p. 20.
- Skyrack Courier (1913) ‘The Empire, Tram Terminus, Rothwell’, 20 June, p. 4.
- Yorkshire Evening Post (1931) ‘Leeds Cinema Gossip’, 21 March, p. 5.
- Yorkshire Evening Post (1932) ‘Manager Dead in Cinema’, 3 May, p. 9.
- Yorkshire Post (1924) ‘The Fire Incident at the Rothwell Empire’, 18 July, p. 3.
- Yorkshire Post (1935) ‘Viscount Halifax at Rothwell’, 29 October, p. 12.