Shame they did not do the Engineers (again) to finish it off. There is a hole in the main door that a young kid could get in.

Its been shut for a time and the firm went into liquidation with the blame being put on global warming.

Approaching the scene from a distance it looked like it was the Essoldo going up .

This is a class building and needs preserving. I think its a food bank at the moment. It would make a great Spoons.

Someone said the ‘food bank’ is only in the foyer…the auditorium is supposedly intact.
Our Councillors of all persuasions are not very savvy when it comes to leading the way with novel developments, they lack imagination.

I detested that building from the day it was ….’built’…modelled on the shoe box school of Architecture..

Very true its an asset to the town.

Anyone got any idea where the concrete art deco thingy that was on the front of the Odeon has got too?

Loads of beautiful red and purple poppies on the land now.
Very picturesque

And that seagull was still on top of the Engineers yesterday.

The Vic could do with a lick of paint like.

Yes the poppies look great and it shows what you can do with some thought.
The herring gull (Harriot) seemed to be off the nest quite a bit now so not sure whats going on there? Raby Road is a bit of a killing field for young gulls as the drivers seem to target them when they are dithering in the road.

Yep the Vic looks a bit tired

Well we know where it hasn’t gone. ….so far.

Some Councillor's....front wall.
I've always wondered where the Bridge Youthy full size snooker table went and the spiral staircase when the council decided to close and demolish it!!!sctatchinghead
And all the stuff from the Grey Art Gallery and Museum.

Who was that little shit of a Councillor in the 90's who posed under the Stag/Hart down the Marina...looked like a tiny Mussolinni/Hitler. Would love to search his house.

The wall outside where the driving tests take place in Mainsforth Terrace has a metal piece of artwork that deserves a better place than where it is….I was told it was by Bob Watson at the 6th form college…? It features several,local scenes and is wasted where it is.

Russell Hart yeah, he thought he was majestic

Odious little fucker- Toes up now mind
He used to live on Edgerton Road- his house overlooked Park Drive.

Look on YouTube - I watched a video about the Essoldo about 6 months ago. All the fixtures and fittings including most the seats and the projector room were still intact, after it closed as a Bingo Hall. It was like time had stood still - not that I remember it as a cinema. (Just about remember the Odeon as a cinema in the early 80's)

I think most of the stuff that was in Art Gallery, is still in there. Sure they use it as council records office. Seem to remember it closed when they converted Christ Church into a gallery space.

That's him.

When we were kids Labour Councillor's lived around the corner…in Council houses….even saw Harold Wilson speaking outside Glady Worthy’s house when I was in the juniors…told the old feller and got a clip for being cheeky.

I have not seen this. Where exactly?

Council and all need to look to do something with this building. Its our last cinema and could be made something of.

Hart was the chair of North Tees and Hartlepool hospital at some point. I met him and he just looked very ill and totally up his own arse. Creepy.

Theatre…but the surrounding area doesn’t help..funny how Darlington and Billingham can manage to run one..we go to both.
There’s the Town Hall, but some of the things one don’t set you boots on fire…shame like.
I dread the Essoldo/ Regal will be levelled and some tin shed shop be built or another pocket of social housing appear.
Ever get the feeling local politicians of all persuasions just don’t understand the town..?
Compared to our past Councillors, over the past 20 years the Party ones just appear appear unambitious.
I also wonder how many paid administrators live in the town, it’s always good if you have a dog in the fight.

main problem with re furbing the essoldo would be the cost especially for a private theatre company taking on the project. afraid if the council did and run it there would be more losses and the public rate payers bailing it out. all councils seem to have one thing in common. they are better at running things at a loss than a profit.

This is a class building and needs preserving. I think its a food bank at the moment. It would make a great Spoons.[/quote]

Look on YouTube - I watched a video about the Essoldo about 6 months ago. All the fixtures and fittings including most the seats and the projector room were still intact, after it closed as a Bingo Hall. It was like time had stood still - not that I remember it as a cinema. (Just about remember the Odeon as a cinema in the early 80's)[/quote]

Council and all need to look to do something with this building. Its our last cinema and could be made something of.[/quote]
Theatre…but the surrounding area doesn’t help..funny how Darlington and Billingham can manage to run one..we go to both.
There’s the Town Hall, but some of the things one don’t set you boots on fire…shame like.
I dread the Essoldo/ Regal will be levelled and some tin shed shop be built or another pocket of social housing appear.
Ever get the feeling local politicians of all persuasions just don’t understand the town..?
Compared to our past Councillors, over the past 20 years the Party ones just appear appear unambitious.
I also wonder how many paid administrators live in the town, it’s always good if you have a dog in the fight.[/quote]
main problem with re furbing the essoldo would be the cost especially for a private theatre company taking on the project. afraid if the council did and run it there would be more losses and the public rate payers bailing it out. all councils seem to have one thing in common. they are better at running things at a loss than a profit.[/quote]

The council are spending £3 million on the Borough Hall and the Town Hall, to make both profitable you would require regular events/shows, the Town Hall Theatre has a capacity of 400 and the Borough Hall 1200. Sunderland Empire is owned by the City of Sunderland but operated by a private company and has regular shows and events, maybe the council could look into that as an option ?

Yep i think the council do have a list of "properties of interest" which need to be protected if possible and i hope this and a few others are on it but you only have so much jam to spread and sometimes some need to go for the greater good. Church street annoys me as it always seem to be on life support rather than a full makeover and repurpose.

Companies like ATG (who run the Sunderland Empire and the Stockton Globe) will programme and operate theatres (if the money's right) but it's down to local councils to foot the bill for refurbishing the buildings. I was shown around The Globe 12 years ago and it was in superficially good nick - almost like you could start running bingo sessions again if you paid the leccy bill. It ended up costing £28 million to bring back into use as a theatre and music venue!

The Regal/Essoldo has a similar capacity to those two so it would be really hard to build a business case that East Durham needs 3 big theatres within a 20-odd mile radius of each other. Who is going to travel in to Hartlepool that can't get to Sunderland or Stockton more easily?

Let’s get something straight…I’m not advocating spending any money on anything….just bemoaning the fact such a grand building stands empty…nostalgia costs nothing…queueing to watch ‘Sink the Bismark’ up there among them …aged 10

The Globe was originally going to cost £4 million and i hear now its up to £30 million.
Its makes HS2 look ok

I remember when the Essoldo was the Regal.

20 regal please and a box of Swan Vesta....and a loosey and a match for the bairn.

yes it was called that when i went. got sick of hearing the tale from every reletive i came across of when my ma was kicked out of the place for laughing.

It was showing Churchill's funeral at the time though.

This iconic picture was taken in 1940 at the Heugh Gun Battery on the Headland Hartlepool.

no, that would have been my old man. basically it was a serious film with a few comedy bits thrown in and she just got the joke in a serious bit of the film a few minutes later. lets say she had a laugh nobody could ignore which once she caused jimmy james to base part of his act at her as if she was an audiance plant and would hae walked out if i had my bus fare home.

The demolition of the Engineers is now becoming the longest project in history. The gull seems to have moved off what was thought to be a nest and still a part of the building remains plus loads of rubble.
Like Pools this week is going to be critical

BTW anyone got any idea what is going on with the old garage site next to the Travellers Rest pub?

I noticed yesterday the Seagull had done one.
Probably got depressed getting a birds eye view of the Vic everyday.

I heard it was going to be a filling station too but we’ll hav3 to see,.

Drive down Burn Road to the very bottom T junction …if you look slightly right on the wall in front of you it’s there painted black.
Wasted there.