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Palace, Bordesley

O

O.C.

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The Bordesley Palace was situated on the corner of High St and Clyde St. Bordesley built in 1899 at a cost of £25,000 and built out of red brick, named “The Imperial” it held 2000 people and had three levels. Richly decorated with walls of marble and mosaic floors
The main entrance was in High St and on entering you went straight up stairs to the top floor, the entrance in Clyde St. led down to the pits and gallery.
It was sold in 1903 and converted into a Music Hall by Moss Empires and renamed
Palace ……variety continued till 1908 then it switched to plays and dramas.
Prices were threepence, sixpence and one shilling
After the Great War it changed again and plays were replaced by revues such as “Spicy Bits” and “Mademoiselle Parlez Vous” and catered for the returning soldiers
When the Talking Pictures came out it could not compete so it became a picture house too and closed on the eve of WW2. The Ministry of Supply commandeered it as a Food Warehouse when war broke out. It was demolished in 1957 and Fisher and Ludlow built a factory there which changed hands a few times
The last picture card shows the Imperial in the middle of the pic
 
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Nice one Cromwell, got most of that History but you have added some more thanks. The Map is just what I want it shows the Streets around HeathMill Lane which I had forgot since I worked there in ther 60s.:)
 
The Palace on the left in 1949 over on the far right The Lamp Pub (white building)
 
the palace

hi cromie
many thanks for down loading the print pics of the palace
in yester years , i found them of intrest and intrigueing
as i have said in previuos thread ,
my mother told me of her days dancing there on stage tap dancing
and at the aston hippo ,;
the dance truope was ran by a guy called harry lieviene ,
i,m not sure how he spelt his name but that was his name
when you told us of the old music hall as it as been ,
i recall stories of how her grand father used to do some kind of
compere there on shows , my mother went to a stage ,tap dance
school at an very early age , before going on stage ,
and as i have said before , that my grand father
ernest jelf ,used to be great friends with billy cotton
the band leader [ sir billy cotton ]
and of course wee willy wood , and they would travel abroad
on holiday together
so i think i can safely say thats how they become good friends
with my mom being in the thearter scene as a dancer
cromwell i have leart alot from your knowledge
many thanks , have a nice day , astonian ,
 
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Astonian, here is a nice pic of the old Bordesley Palace, do you have any pics from the old days of your Ma ?
 
bordesley palace

hi crom
nice pics .unfortuatelly i do not have any pics of my mom
when she was at the pally . i did have one of when i was born
she was holding me in her arms in the home at no 1 newcannal st
digbeth down the rd from the pally when she was young
and highly attractive with her looks and figure
she was showing me off
i borrowed the photo to my younger brother pete whom never seen it
i had,nt seen him for years and discovered that he lives in those
expensive appartments up on the cannal of brum
what i call millionaires row
he said he would get a coppy and give it me back
so until i get it back i cannot show it yet
have a nice day astonian''
 
Astonian,
I hope you can get the photo as I have got quite a few pics of the musical hall stars, and did ya know I came across an article in the Birmingham Mail for Bordesley Palace advertising "Casey's Court Circus" on July 23rd 1906 .....guess who was in that ? ..Charlie Chaplin... he also appeared at the Empire in 1911
 
bordesly pallie

Hi cromwell
hope you are well this lovely sunny morning,
and i hope you have a good safe journey
across the water this week end in france .
i am hoping to travel down to b,ham this week end
and down to tamworth .
in order to get a copy of the photos of my grand father
and grand mother in venuice with billy cotton and
wee georgie wood on the cannals on the gongalgals
and the one where they are all walking along the sands of
venuice holding hands,she was only about 6 years old i think
at the time , my youngiest sister has got that one
and the other one of mom in her dancing days
showing me off ,my brother has got it on his living room wall
so i will try and scrounge a copy from him
he lives in tamworth ,it will be probable be bank holiday
monday when i get to him ,cos it will be my son
whom will take me there
incidently crom; is there any where i can get any old
progammes or any further gen on the old pallie etc;
i do of course remember my mom mentioned charle chaplinn
at one stage , i would of course like to found out about the
harry leviene stage tap group ,i don,t know wether i have spelt
the name right . thou .
have a nice day crom ; best wishes astonian ;;
 
Very interesting article, always new where the Bordesley Palace was but this the first time I have seen any pics of it, Thanks
Chris B
 
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