Hippodrome
 

We've mentioned the Hippodrome before, but I wanted to show you this lovely "connected" photo - a Mr and Mrs Buckett had an "eating house" at the top of Ellison Street, which was next door to The Spread Eagle Pub on Blackburn Road. This shop has, I believe, also been a toy shop, a "tourist information" type of shop run by Hyndburn Transport, and I think its now an insurance company, but take a trip back in "The Tardis" and get an idea of how it was. The Bucket family, and many many more in Accrington, took in lodgers who would have been appearing at The Hippodrome theatre. Here we see what appears to be staff from the theatre and maybe the lasses who ran the cafe. (I believe that a couple of the Bucket sons were well known boxers in their time).

Re: Hippodrome
 

Great photographs. Don't they look smart?

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The Hippodrome, just as remember it. Up in t'Gods. The Gods were so steep you felt as if you'd fall onto the stage. Great stuff once again Atarah!!

Re: Hippodrome
 

I remember once as a child going to watch some show there and we had to hire a "box" because all the seats in the general auditorium were gone. My dad was really embarrased and refused to sit at the front of the box in case someone saw him, recognised him and considered he was getting above his station in life. God, the things that stick in your mind.

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Great photographs, Atarah. The Ellison Street one looks like it was originally black-and-white and has had tints added by someone who didn't know about Accy Coporation bus livery!

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Yep, it does look as though it has been "touched up" - here's another anyway
Yesterday myself and another Accyweb member went "exploring" - we were actually stood on the corner of the backstreet you can see here, trying to visulize how it once was

Re: Hippodrome
 

If you wandered along the backstreet shown in Atarah's last picture, and no one was looking. You could climb into the Hippodrome through a street level window. Very dark and dirty was the corridor you climbed into, but if you followed it along you eventually came out onto the stage. There were skylights above, so there was actually lots of light. The Asbestos safety curtain had been lowered but vandals had cut holes in it so that you could swing out over the Orchestra pit from a great rope that hung from the fly tower. The remains of the house curtain was strewn in great mouldering swathes of crimson over the front seats of the auditorium. Wandering around in the gloom at the back of the theatre there appeared to be what was once the Gents. On the wall someone had painted a huge Vargas - style bathing beauty. Funny how we were not in the least bit concerned about Rats.

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How long ago was that A-b?

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Errm. I would be about nine years old, so I guess around 1965-67

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I wish I'd known. All I ever remember of the Hippodrome is a vague recollection of seeing it by looking down Ellison Street from a Blackburn bus.

Hippodrome
 

This remind you of when you used to sneak into the Hippodrome A-B?

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Ye Gods!!.... Atarah where did you find that one! Oh what a nightmare!! It's destroyed my memories of a once magical place!!

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FABulous, Atarah. Just fabulous. Are there any more?

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I never knew what it was like inside. At least from this photo I can imagine what it once was.

Over the past couple of years we've been inside 'The Winter Gardens' in Morecambe which a group are striving to renovate. I can understand your reaction to the Hippodrome photo Darby because when I first went into the derelict Winter Gardens it was quite a shock to see as I remembered the times I'd been there when it was a successful theatre. At least that one is still standing and hopefully one day will be re-opened. I had no idea we'd had anything rivalling it here in good old Accy.

Re: Hippodrome
 

It is surprising what we used to have.