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The Palladium Cinema Hockley Picture House

Have it in my mind it was 917 seats when ABC took extended their franchise in 1936. Presuming no significant alterations made-none to my knowledge-that would the same up until its closure in early 1965:)
 
Re: Palladium Hockley. I remember if you paid a 'thrupence' you could sit on the pipes at the back of the stalls.
 
Maggieuk,
I used to go to the Palladium way back in the 1940's it was good because living n Handsworth the bus stopped outside.
I am researching Timmins and Wilkes in Brum. my gt grandfather married a Timmins Misanna Kendal Timmins b 1846 do you have Wiliam John Wilkes b 1872 or famiy of.

Ken Bibb
 
You might be interested in these two photos sent to me by a friend. He took them around 1964/65 when they were constructing the Hockley Flyover. On the first photo the Palladium is on the right hand side. The other is taken standing outside the Palladium.

Judy
 
New to this great site, so forgive me for hiking over old ground just wanted to share this story with you.
Dad, Mom, my cousin and I, went to the Palladium in the early 1950's (I know not what film but it dosn't matter) halfway through the performance, Dad shouted out and clutched his leg, much to the annoyance of the people behind, Dad said quite loudly a b.... mouse has run up my trouser leg. The row cleared amazingly quickly to let him out of the side door.
Memories such memories.
 
Some new info on the cinema, Although the site has not been sold, planning permission has been granted to turn the cinema area into a church.

to be honest, im all for a church, its a good use of building.

watch this space though as I might be getting some more info soon :)
 
hi guys
by photographs of the inside which i presume was taken in the early stages of opening of the cinama looked very grand
but later on in the years it fell short of nothink but
nothink short of a flea pitt
the one and only time i ever visted that cinema was to see
elvis ,s film G I.blues and never went again
many thanks for the itching moments of the era ,
the best picture house i considered was the edbaston
but i did go to another one,
the crown picture house in ickneild port rd
and watched pat boone movie , 7 days aweek morning .
afternoons , and evenings it must have been a hundred times
a film called april love
best wishes to you all astonian ;;;;;;;
 
See #34 Hockley Picture House inside Astonian.

April Love 1957 I saw that while Holiday :)
 
I loved the Palladium cinema too. I saw the film April Love starring Pat Boon, with my first boyfriend there.:love:
 
hi alf
yes i have looked at the inside pict , fantasic
it was a cracking film but what attractive to me was his singing voice as i have previuos said recently on other threads
about my early days in the singing and was taught and inspired by the two old ladies from aston parish and dyson hall whom was my mentors and whom gave me my sing lesson ,
miss rice .and miss burrows and i found pat boone superb voice
along with michael holiday and then came along paul anka
they was my style of singing in a cabret style sing
and that promted me to go along with edmund ross advert for a band singer in london ,
so thats partley the reason i sat through april love movie for hours and hours moon to dust before i came home
geting back to the pallidium i thought the seats was a bit iffy thou
but getting to think how long that building and the hall was first built for entertainment it was some years had lasped
i think the only time it got refurbished was it was changed to a bingo hall but as you was probaly aware the picture house had been standing empty for years at least from when they first started to redezign hockley brook .and its fly over
Alf .do you know when they first built that first section of the fly over by the pics and the bus garage ? ,
have a niceday alf , best wishes astonian ;;
 
I hope this brings back some memories for you all,

It is currently for sale for £650,000 and has 3 main parties interested.
One being a church group who have planning permission to turn it into a monastery and are now in the process of trying to gather the funds for the sale. There is also another buyer who would like to convert it into a community hall.

The structure is sound, a few holes here and there but it seems all surfaces and floors were made from concrete and just need a good bit of plastering, nothing too drastic.

Pictures of how the Palladium looks in the present, courtesy of Moi...

(Due to the guided visit, I could not take my usual tripod kit, so all images are either with flash or hand held without.)...

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A close up of all the old names it once had...

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Hiya Derelict-UK
Thanks for posting the pics ..it really is so sad ..as a child i lived in South Rd (in rooms )..in the attic of the house where I lived was a family by the name of Bryant. the youngest son had something to do with the Palladium and used to get me in every Sat morn free ..I remember so many good times there and it really is a shame to see it like this ..but once again thanks for posting
 
How many people never paid to get in?

Just with one person paying, they used to open the toilet window and let other climb in.

Happy days - unless you were caught.

Do you remember the ice creams - you had a cornet and the ice cream part was covered in thin cardboard which you had to peel it off to put onto the cornet. Of course from the local shops lovely jubblies!
 
Great pics,both the current ones,and the older ones.A really good thread happily kept alive.

Corona and Mason's pop,the place is a real time vault,and at £650,000 isn't ridiculously priced.
Do wonder why it was never sold these last 30 years though,why would the owners sit on it for so long?
 
just caught up with this thread...what absolutly brillient pics...how lucky to have been allowed in to take them...thanks a million...

lyn
 
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