An update on the status of an old former theatre in the Wirral.
The last time I passed this it was a furniture place, but driving along the coast road one Sunday I saw it had been converted into a gym/fitness centre.
The door was open so I wandered in and asked if I could have a look round. The gym guys said fine, in fact they were interested in the place, knew the history and pointed out various old features.
A week or so later dweeb was in town on window-related business not far away, so I suggested another look since this sort of thing is more up his street than mine.
History. Quite complicated involving several name changes, but it started out as the Irving Theatre, which began to show film until it became a full time cinema in 1936 called the Embassy.
The original Victorian boxes and plasterwork was replaced with Art Deco in 1938, and from 1958 onwards it was Embassy Bingo, with the circle boxed off at some point as a night club (http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/32709).
For more details and some old photos see The Kwan’s post from 2013, when Bingo had stopped but the seating was still there.
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threa...ll-former-irving-theatre-wirral-july13.82550/
An earlier 2010 post from Bovine also shows the nightclub area.
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/the-embassy-cinema-seacombe-wirral-april-2010.50109/
These days the ground floor is a family-friendly fitness area, the circle area is filled with gym machines, but the top floor is still much as it was.
Auditorium - the theatre stage would have been where the new wall and cinema screen is now.
An entrance behind the plasterwork and a view between the curtains where the cinema screen would have been.
The curtains look old and grubby enough to date from 1936, and can still be opened and closed electrically.
Up to the bar/kiosk at the rear of the circle.
On up to the gods above the false ceiling of the circle.
The projector room. No projectors but some serious fireproofing with two sliding metal fire-doors (1936), one on each side.
An electrical signal box - the metal strips get attracted to the electromagnets, swinging the red stars into view in the little round windows.
It probably buzzed as well.
Over to the fly tower above the stage area.
An oddly metal-lined door with a peg box beside it - there’s another peg box on the other side of the room. I don’t know what these were for.
Cleats for tying off the scenery and the (very) suspended ceiling of the stage area below.
Dweeb did his urban ferret thing above the ceiling of the auditorium..
…and also recognised what I had originally thought was an elaborate vent was in fact something called a ‘sunburner’ https://williamsugghistory.co.uk/?page_id=67.
This was basically a large gas light - the lower rim would have contained a reflective insert lit from below by gas jets (both reflector and jets now gone).
It also acted as a heater and ventilator by convection up a chimney attached to the top. Sounds a bit of a fire hazard.
Finally up to the roof for the views.
South towards Birkenhead showing various landmarks including the Italianate hydraulic tower sticking up on the right.
Over the Mersey towards Liverpool.
The last time I passed this it was a furniture place, but driving along the coast road one Sunday I saw it had been converted into a gym/fitness centre.
The door was open so I wandered in and asked if I could have a look round. The gym guys said fine, in fact they were interested in the place, knew the history and pointed out various old features.
A week or so later dweeb was in town on window-related business not far away, so I suggested another look since this sort of thing is more up his street than mine.
History. Quite complicated involving several name changes, but it started out as the Irving Theatre, which began to show film until it became a full time cinema in 1936 called the Embassy.
The original Victorian boxes and plasterwork was replaced with Art Deco in 1938, and from 1958 onwards it was Embassy Bingo, with the circle boxed off at some point as a night club (http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/32709).
For more details and some old photos see The Kwan’s post from 2013, when Bingo had stopped but the seating was still there.
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threa...ll-former-irving-theatre-wirral-july13.82550/
An earlier 2010 post from Bovine also shows the nightclub area.
https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/the-embassy-cinema-seacombe-wirral-april-2010.50109/
These days the ground floor is a family-friendly fitness area, the circle area is filled with gym machines, but the top floor is still much as it was.
Auditorium - the theatre stage would have been where the new wall and cinema screen is now.
An entrance behind the plasterwork and a view between the curtains where the cinema screen would have been.
The curtains look old and grubby enough to date from 1936, and can still be opened and closed electrically.
Up to the bar/kiosk at the rear of the circle.
On up to the gods above the false ceiling of the circle.
The projector room. No projectors but some serious fireproofing with two sliding metal fire-doors (1936), one on each side.
An electrical signal box - the metal strips get attracted to the electromagnets, swinging the red stars into view in the little round windows.
It probably buzzed as well.
Over to the fly tower above the stage area.
An oddly metal-lined door with a peg box beside it - there’s another peg box on the other side of the room. I don’t know what these were for.
Cleats for tying off the scenery and the (very) suspended ceiling of the stage area below.
Dweeb did his urban ferret thing above the ceiling of the auditorium..
…and also recognised what I had originally thought was an elaborate vent was in fact something called a ‘sunburner’ https://williamsugghistory.co.uk/?page_id=67.
This was basically a large gas light - the lower rim would have contained a reflective insert lit from below by gas jets (both reflector and jets now gone).
It also acted as a heater and ventilator by convection up a chimney attached to the top. Sounds a bit of a fire hazard.
Finally up to the roof for the views.
South towards Birkenhead showing various landmarks including the Italianate hydraulic tower sticking up on the right.
Over the Mersey towards Liverpool.
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