Tameside Hippodrome
Coordinates: 53°29′16″N 2°5′50″W / 53.48778°N 2.09722°W
Tameside Hippodrome is a 1400 seater theatre located in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, England.
History
In February 1904, William Henry Broadhead, who already owned three theatres in the Manchester area, acquired land in Ashton-u-Lyne bordered by Oldham Road, Cotton Street East, Gas Street and Old Street. By April plans had been submitted to Ashton Borough Council to build a 2,000 capacity theatre on the corner bordered by Oldham Road and Cotton Street East. The plans were passed in May 1904 and work began immediately.[1]
William H Broadhead began his working life as a builder and joiner[2] Even when one of his daughters (Annie) married in 1902, by which time he owned the Royal Osborne, the Metropole, the Grand Junction and the Hulme Hippodrome, with a total capacity across all four theatres exceeding 10,000, his occupation on the marriage certificate is "Decorator".[3] His own company therefore built the Hippodrome, lock stock and barrel. He even had a specialist section which produced the coloured glass signs for the cast iron canopy
The theatre opened with a civic gala evening on 19 November 1904[4] and a full variety programme commenced the following Monday.
In 1932, it was converted to a temporary cinema[5] and renamed The New Empire in November 1933. It was later bought by ABC Cinemas, who continued to own the lease on the building until 1974.
Following an attempt to convert it into a bingo hall, a 21-year lease was bought by Tameside Council, and the theatre was relaunched as Tameside Theatre in 1976. The building was bought by the council in 1983.
In 1992, a contract to manage the theatre was given to Apollo Leisure (who were subsequently bought by Live Nation).
Temporary closure
In 2007 Tameside Council began the tendering process for the management of the theatre. The incumbent operator, Live Nation, did not take part. The company later submitted a bid outside the tender process, for a fee of double their existing rate.[6] Live Nation followed their initial offer by offering to run the theatre free of charge until a new management was found. This offer was declined by the council.
A council statement said that it was unaffordable, and that the offer did not take into account required investment in the theatre. No contract was awarded and the theatre subsequently closed on 1 April 2008.
Tameside Council are currently seeking funding for the refurbishment for the theatre, a sustainable business model for it and a new operator. The council have stated that the theatre will not reopen until such a time that this has been done.
On Sept 6th 2009 it was reported that the Hippodrome will be torn down. No new buyers came forward for the building or to take it over as a working theatre. Since then the Tameside Hippodrome has been recognised as a listed building.
Reopening
In June 2012 it was announced that the theatre would reopen in spring 2013, operated by a charitable trust this has now been confirmed as August 2016.[7] As of 2022, the theatre will no longer reopen, Tameside Council have confirmed they are seeking to have the building demolished to make way for new developements in the area.
References
- ^ Library., Tameside Local Studies (1992). Tameside bibliography. Tameside Leisure Services, Libraries & Heritage. OCLC 866208924.
- ^ 1881 Census
- ^ Manchester, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1930 (Cathedral)
- ^ Ashton Reporter 25th November 1904
- ^ "Welcome to the Hippodrome".
- ^ "Tameside Hippodrome - Venue for Hire". Archived from the original on 18 December 2007.
- ^ "East of the M60". 14 June 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
External links
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