Empire Cinema, Blackpool

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Coordinates: 53°47′45.8″N 3°01′45.9″W / 53.796056°N 3.029417°W / 53.796056; -3.029417
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

53°47′45.8″N 3°01′45.9″W / 53.796056°N 3.029417°W / 53.796056; -3.029417

Pictured in 2014

The Empire Cinema was a 1920s structure in

locally listed
but was demolished in 2021.

Cinema

The structure was constructed between 1928 and 1929 for Nottingham Cinemas Limited. It was designed by Lancashire architect Halstead Best. The structure, in Hawes Side Lane, had a proscenium width of 24 feet (7.3 m) and between 868 and 929 seats.[1] The cinema served as a meeting hall for Labour Party events in the 1930s.[2]

The theatre was modernised in 1939 which saw its capacity increase to between 1,094 and 1,194 seats.

Second World War Fearn was the only full-time science fiction writer in Britain. When writers lost their status as a reserved occupation in 1941 Fearn was obliged to undertake essential war work. He served in an aircraft factory but found the work hard ("it damned near killed me") and managed to get approval to accept the offer of a job at the cinema from his friend who was manager there.[4] Fearn enjoyed the work and it gave him enough spare time to write 5,000 words a day.[4] The cinema closed in 1959.[1]

Later uses

The structure was later converted into a nightclub, branded as Casino.

bingo hall. The couple owned five other bingo halls in the town but after John's death in 1994 Elaine sold the other sites.[6][5]

Demolition

The bingo hall closed in 2020 with Elaine Bottomley blaming the effects of the COVID pandemic and social distancing measures. She had sought planning permission to convert the structure into 14 flats in 2018 but this had proved unviable due to the age of the building.

locally listed at the time of its demolition.[8] Since the demolition Blackpool Council passed a direction to require planning permission for the demolition of any locally listed building.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Empire Cinema Hawes Side Lane Marton Blackpool - Building". Architects of Greater Manchester 1800–1940. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  2. ISBN 978-0-905046-20-4
    .
  3. ISBN 978-1-4344-4736-4
    .
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-1-58715-326-6
    .
  5. ^ a b c Graves, James (8 April 2021). "Empire bingo hall in Blackpool: 12 pictures as demolition work begins to make way for houses". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Eyes down, heads up as Empire stays strong". Blackpool Gazette. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  7. ^ Parkinson, Shelagh (26 June 2020). "Historic Blackpool bingo hall to close for good and be demolished". LancsLive. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  8. ^ Parkinson, Shelagh (29 October 2021). "Owner wants to demolish former Blackpool Woolworths building and turn the site into a car park". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  9. ^ Parkinson, Shelagh (13 July 2022). "Blackpool's heritage to be protected from demolition risk". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
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