Iconic city centre venue where BBC legends once starred ‘to be demolished' after 110 years
The building was set to be refurbished
STAGE EXIT Iconic city centre venue where BBC legends once starred 'to be demolished' after 110 years
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
AN ICONIC city centre theatre is being demolished after a series of arson attacks.
The venue has hosted Morecambe and Wise along with some of Britain's all-time greats of the stage.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
7
The venue is in the centre of Derby
Credit: BPM
7
The hippodrome has suffered three fires in just 32 days
Credit: Spotted Alvaston-Original
7
The venue was used as a bingo hall until 2007. when it closed
Credit: Theatres Trust/David Marsden
The Derby Hippodrome is being demolished, despite the historic building's Grade II protected status.
Derby City Council said it had to use emergency powers to make the site safe after damage from a series of arson attacks.
The building was set ablaze on Friday last week, with Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service confirming on Monday that this was done deliberately.
This was the third fire the theatre has suffered in just over a month, with incidents in mid-April and early May causing significant damage to its structural integrity.
On Sunday, contractors began the process of demolishing the Hippodrome.
The theatre is over a hundred years old, having been erected in 1914, and seats over 2,000 spectators.
It spent the first 20 years of its life as a cinema, before Morecambe and Wise appeared in the panto classic Babes in the Wood in the 1950s, when it reopened.
The venue played host to other national treasures, such as singer George Formby and comic Frankie Howerd.
Until as late as 2007, the structure was still being used as a bingo hall, before closing its doors to the public.
In February, the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust announced its ambition to compulsory purchase the site and renovate it as an alternative music venue.
Wrecking machines move in to demolish 'ghost town' Scots estate dubbed 'Britain's Chernobyl'
These hopes were boosted by The Theatres Trust (TTT) recently awarding a grant to the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust to advance this work.
But tragically, these hopes seem to be in vain, as the council has said it does not yet know if any of the red brick theatre can be saved.
Its Public Safety chairman, Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, said: "At the end of the day, we have a responsibility to keep residents safe.
"I understand there are people upset because it is a Grade Two listed building but ultimately you must compare that with the possible loss of life if it comes to collapse."
The council said the roof of the building, next to Macklin Street, was destroyed on Sunday, and one of the Hippodrome's walls was demolished.
This work was done to "level the basement" so that machines can move further into the site and destroy other parts of the structure.
While necessary for public safety, the demolition has caused a great deal of upset among local bodies and residents.
TTT Chief executive Joshua McTaggart said: "Derby Hippodrome had an irreplaceable social and cultural heritage, much of which is now likely to be sadly lost.
"But this is about more than just heritage.
'Until this recent series of fires, there was still a realistic opportunity to save parts of the building and bring it back into use as an independent music venue."
Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust added: "This marks the final chapter in a long and troubled history that has ultimately led to the loss of a building of significant historic and architectural value."
Derby Hippodrome is owned by a foreign finance firm.
The public have been asked to stay away from the demolition site to enable works to take place.
7
The hippodrome is more than 100 years old
Credit: Alamy
7
The Hippodrome wears the scars of its recent fires
Credit: Alamy
7
The demolition site is closed off from the public
Credit: BPM
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
18 minutes ago
- Wales Online
BBC viewers say 'I gave it a try' as they 'switch off' Death Valley within minutes
BBC viewers say 'I gave it a try' as they 'switch off' Death Valley within minutes The third episode of Death Valley aired on BBC One on Sunday evening, and it was safe to say that viewers were far from impressed Death Valley: Official trailer Death Valley's third episode left some viewers "switching off" on Sunday night. The episode, which aired on Sunday (June 8), saw John Chapel (portrayed by Timothy Spall) and DS Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth) investigating the premature death of a best man, reports the Express. However, it seemed to attract attention for all the wrong reasons. One disgruntled viewer took to social media to vent their frustration: "What on earth is this s*** #DeathValley. "No wonder everyone is talking about it... It's utter drivel and woke toboot. Refund the BBC if this is the best they can s**t out." Another chimed in, " I heard it was bad, but jeez, it's horrendously bad. The lead lady is so irritating, and the script is chronically unfunny. It's a new low for BBC Sunday night viewing, absolutely horrendous." Death Valley was swamped with complaints (Image: BBC ) Article continues below One viewer even admitted to turning off the programme, stating, "Caught up with #DeathValley on BBC1. I love stuff staring Timothy Spall but just had to turn off after a few minutes due to the awful co-star detective played by Gwyneth Keyworth shouting all the time. She must be one of the most annoying TV characters ever." A fourth viewer echoed these sentiments: "I'm on the third episode of "Death Valley" - I really gave it a try, but it really doesn't get on me. I can't stand the main characters, they are cringe... in general I really like those shows, but this I'll skip and that Ludwig will return soon." (sic) Someone else declared: "#DeathValley on BBC1 is one of the worst programmes I've ever sat through!". Despite the mixed reviews, Death Valley drew in nearly three million viewers on its debut (Image: BBC ) In contrast, some viewers expressed their enjoyment of the series, with one spectator stating: "I know a lot of people seem to enjoy slagging off #DeathValley, and I admit that when I saw the initial trailer, I thought it looked poor. "However, having binged the series the other day, I can quash my original reticence & say that I loved it. Daft, funny, cosy & Welsh." Another added: "Enjoying #DeathValley too. It's Sunday night viewing and I remember 'By the Sword Divided' and 'The Pallisers' so this is quite fun." The third episode of Death Valley aired on BBC One on Sunday evening (Image: BBC/BBC Studios/Simon Ridgway ) Amidst varying opinions on Death Valley, the BBC has shared the impressive viewer statistics following the show's premiere at the end of May. Article continues below The first instalment of Death Valley, broadcast on 25 May, pulled in an audience of 2.9 million on its first showing on BBC One, firmly establishing it as the most successful debut for a new BBC Scripted Comedy in the past five years – even eclipsing the launch figures for Ludwig, which aired last September to 2.8 million viewers. You can catch up on Death Valley on BBC iPlayer
The Guardian
31 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Afternoon Update: Nine reporter shot with rubber bullet at LA protests; Victorian motorists rescued from snow; and Sarah Snook wins a Tony
Good afternoon. Thousands of Californians enraged by Donald Trump's response to protests against a wave of immigration arrest raids have flooded the streets of downtown Los Angeles, bringing a major freeway to a standstill and facing off with police firing teargas and rubber bullets. An Australian TV reporter was shot by a police rubber bullet while covering the protests. The national guard began deploying to Los Angeles after Trump invoked a federal law that allows the president to federalise national guard troops – the first time an American president has used such power since the 1992 LA riots. Trump's move has been followed by the threat of even more escalation, with the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, raising the possibility of deploying US marines to the city. The California governor, Gavin Newsom, has demanded Trump rescind the order and accused the president of inciting and provoking violence. 'These are the acts of a dictator, not a President,' he wrote in a social media post. Israeli forces take control of Gaza aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg Bemused Scots flock to dock for a 'wry chuckle' at stranded Tasmanian ferry that helped sink a premier Channel Ten cancels The Project after 16 years with new current affairs show to fill primetime slot SBS's Insight accused of betraying people living with chronic fatigue syndrome who appeared on program Greens and independents to push Labor for tougher regulation of political lobbying Trump travel ban barring citizens from 12 countries goes into effect More than 160,000 people were transported to a bygone era when the Cooly Rocks On festival took over the beachside suburb of Coolangatta on Queensland's Gold Coast. The five-day celebration of music, cars and lifestyle from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s included a parade of vintage vehicles, pageant contestants, Elvis impersonators and rockabilly bands. 'This means so much for a little Australian girl' – Sarah Snook The Succession star won the Tony award for best actress in a play for her performance in all 26 roles in The Picture of Dorian Gray, the Sydney Theatre Company one-woman show that has become a Broadway hit. The show's Melbourne-based costume designer, Marg Horwell, also picked up an award. Catch up on the full list of winners and red carpet looks. Thirteen motorists and two hikers have been rescued after being trapped in heavy snow near Mount Hotham, while bushwalkers were evacuated near Mount Kosciuszko in New South Wales amid a dangerous start to the snow season. Police and the SES said no one remained trapped in the area by Monday afternoon. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion I vowed to never exercise again. Then along came Ultimate Frisbee I used to be addicted to exercise in all its most joyless, soulless forms, writes Lucinda Price. It took a flying object to show me the magnetic joy of play. Today's starter word is: LANK. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply. If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know with our Morning Mail newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
The radio debut of the House of Commons: ‘there could be a long-running series here' – archive, 1975
Permanent radio broadcasts from the House of Commons began on 3 April 1978, and from the House of Lords on 4 April. Television broadcasts began on 21 November 1989. 10 June 1975 Ed Boyle, the commercial radio commentator for the first broadcast of parliament, yesterday spent two hours cooped up in a tiny glass box at a temperature of nearly 90 degrees, wearing a jacket, tie, and buttoned up collar, suffering from a particularly ferocious type of dysentery which has already brought his weight down to eight stone. Just to add a touch of challenge to the job, he was operating a new type of microphone kindly supplied by the BBC with operating instructions entirely in Japanese. In spite of this, Mr Boyle and his BBC colleague, David Holmes, who were trapped together in the same tiny glass box, managed somehow to give composed and informative account of the proceedings. Mr Holmes admitted afterwards that the heat had been so great that at times he had thought he would not be able to carry on, and though listeners may have noticed his voice fading occasionally, he always remained strikingly coherent and apparently in command. Mr Boyle now intends to make a few swift changes to make life slightly more bearable. Apart from sartorial changes to Bermuda shorts, for himself, he plans to make commentating easier by fading out some members when the discussion gets too technical. 'Some of the questions are really on very minor and erudite issues, and I guess the MPs won't mind if we turn them down occasionally so as to explain to the listeners what is happening.' Yesterday the two broadcasters were blessed by a good chunk of pungent topical debates, with Tony Benn using industry questions as the chance to prove himself a good Euro-democrat, and with splendid quotations like: 'If the opposition wants any head on a charger, the leader of the Conservative party will have to be a lot more seductive as a Salome than she has been so far.' At the same time, there were highly complex questions about, for example, the funding of the new pod for the stretched version of the Rolls-Royce RB 211 – a matter of great importance, but one which cannot be explained in the few seconds between question and answer. Both commentators had to trim down their remarks to within a second or so either way: Mr Holmes reckoned that if he did not spot immediately whether the speaker was calling an MP for a supplementary or for the next question on the order paper, he would lose two of the four or five vital seconds of explaining time. Time was so tight that Mr Boyle had to make a definite policy decision to give the first name of each MP as well as his surname and party. Often their time was so limited they could only say: 'This is a question about Europe' or, 'This is about British Leyland.' Mr Holmes hopes to grab a few more seconds of talking time while MPs are laughing and cheering between answers. But both men were pleased with the way things had gone, and came out of the box easier in mind if not in body than they had been when they went in. 'What's encouraging is that it looks as if we can do a proper job without the house having to change its way of going about business or even the tempo of its debates, so no one need feel that we are interfering in any way,' said Mr Holmes. The commercial company plans to use more material than the BBC will use, with prime minister's questions live every Tuesday and Thursday, plus special debates. It will also have an hour of extracts and highlights each morning – twice as long as the BBC – with an instant feedback service from a panel of MPs who took part in the debate; and possibly a Saturday morning edition giving chunks of the week's committees. Val Arnold-Forster, our radio critic, adds: It was a lucky day for broadcasters, according to David Holmes at the end of the transmission – audibly breathing a sigh of relief. It was too, it was a well or luckily chosen parliamentary day. At first, both Holmes and his opposite number, Ed Boyle of IRN, seemed to feel a trifle defensive about parliament. Well they might, for BBC listeners anyway missed not only some of Woman's Hour and a play, but since political events always seem to invade children's entertainment, they also missed Listen with Mother. Before the actual live broadcast started, both political editors showed us round like keen members of a parent-teachers association displaying their school: eager to tell us about the hallowed tradition, the problems that the whole institution had in a changing society, and the usefulness of the work done. The leader of the house, Edward Short, appeared on both channels in his headmasterly capacity to say that this was a particularly noisy House of Commons, but he hoped that the MPs would be on their best behaviour. A bit unruly, he thought, and not only the MPs either. There would have been more room, said Mr Short, in the tiny broadcaster's box if IRN and BBC had done the decent thing and agreed to a joint transmission. Nobody need have worried: from the moment question time started we were in capable hands. Both David Holmes and Ed Boyle chipped into the debate sotto voce, to identify and give party allegiances and explanations. Both tried valiantly to feed the listener with the details that make the House of Commons come alive. 'Mr Bidwell, chairman of the Tribune Group … Mr Denis Skinner, always a lively performer … Mr Benn is smiling to himself.' But they need not really have bothered: the proceedings were jolly enough. For those of us used to hearing politicians debating cautiously in front of untried audiences or answering laboured questions and phone-ins, it was an entertaining experience to hear such skilful parliamentary technicians as Harold Wilson and Tony Benn, parrying questions, riposting, joking, and scolding. The jokes were not always very good, but that's true of other radio comedians. Perhaps the laughter and applause sometimes seemed excessive but the barbed retorts were well placed and, as in other radio shows, what seemed like impromptu repartee must have been rehearsed, if only in the bath. 'I do not require lessons in political morality from an honourable member who regularly signs the oath of allegiance and snipes continually at the royal family,' snapped Tony Benn to Willie Hamilton. The uproar which worried Edward Short was cheerful mostly. The general cosiness, which came through strikingly as everyone complimented everyone else on performances in the referendum debate, seemed as easy to grasp as the Archers: we could become as familiar with William Whitelaw's idiosyncrasies as Walter Gabriel's. Final verdict: early days yet, but there could be a compulsive, long-running series here.
