Actually the Wurlitzer had a rare Tibia Plena as well as a Tibia Clausa.Apparently the whole organ survived the bombing and was stored at the Odeon Shepherds Bush.But obviously by the late 1950`s they no longer wanted the bother of reinstalling the organ when the auditorium was rebuilt.The organ was then dispersed with some parts used on the Tower Blackpool Wurlitzer and the fire there.
Scaffolding was put up to commence demolition but as of January 2017 all the scaffolding has been removed.So looks like its reverted to its status as Liverpools most derelict cinema.
davepring,
I was working at the Apollo installing and updating the plasma a few years ago.Those to the windows and above the staircase are extremely difficult to get at because of the glass staircase and it doesnt surprise me that they are no longer working.The company i was working at no longer work for Vue.Vue are cheapskates and penny pinching and try to do things for themselves and balls it up in the process.At least Apollo under Paul Gregg and later his missus Anita tried to keep things working.
Apparently the Regal Christie organ was not destroyed in the fire (which was as a result of a direct hit on the stage end by a bomb).But the percussion thumpof the bomb caused everything in the pipe chambers to lift up several inches and down again and everything fell about and was considered a write off.BUT the Standaart cinema organ from the Metropole in central London(which was bigger than the Regals organ) was being stored on the stage and as this was completely destroyed as it was behind the fire curtain.So this is the one that Kenneth was probably thinking about.
The compton organ shown here is the Regal Bexleyheath shown in the pit on its lift.
The Camden organ wasnt on a lift,didnt have a lit up surround and had four keyboards not three….
Apparently the old Osborne cinema on Oldham road and Birt street was also ThunderDome so did they move from the Osborne in 2010 when it was demolished?
As of April 1st 2016,the building is still deteiorating but on the Gable end of a shop next door(on the corner)is the original advertising which has been revealed due to the removal of a long standing advertising hoarding.Look in the photos.
The organ was supplanted by a newer model from the Savoy Leicester but then the thing grew and grew and became a monster of 5 manuals and 30 odd ranks of pipes.It was assumed at the time that the first organ (Compton 2-6)was joined with the next organ (Compton 3c-6).But then the whole lot was moved to the Bygones Village at Fleggburgh.Since that closed everything has been in store.oddly the Empire Aldershot is now looking for a replacement organ.
Was at the Troxy last night for the opening of the WurliTzer organ and it was Fantastic.The theatre was too,but only later on did i notice that the foyer is no longer the original double height shown in the original photo.It now has a false ceiling with i presume a big void above it presumably done when the building was a bingo hall.I wonder if they have any plans to open this space back up?
Royalty cinema still going strong as of May 2015.It now has a 2/7 WurliTzer from the Rex Stratford installed under the stage.May 19th sees the start of excavation for a lift for the Wurlitzer console and the addition of a phantom piano.
Here is the churches website and the interior looks stunning-it appears to have been decorated,recarpeted and re seated both in the stalls and the circle.
http://www.cftchurches.org/index.php/about-us/cathedral-gallery
It seem really odd that this cinema is totally overlooked with no photos or information and is one of the few still retaining its organ.Goodness knows what state its Christie 3/10 is in.I believe that the owner of the building wanted an exorbitant amount for the organ which was of course declined.Has no one else tried to gain access to this building?
The Wurlitzer was of course a 2/10 and on perusing the photos on Flickr it appears that the organ chamber shutters are still in place.Very odd when the organ is up and playing at Cotton in Suffolk.
Ive worked at the Apollo a few times installing plasma screens.It was odd knowing that i was working where the stalls once were.Ive attached a couple of pictures of the Plaza WurliTzer-one in the pit at the Plaza and the other at its first home in Ascot after being removed.The organ had an odd start to life.,the chambers were split either side of the proscenium.The solo organ and the 32Diaphone disturbed nearby offices.The Solo organ was then moved up into the roof speaking out from above the proscenium which made it sound rather odd.The Diaphones were disconnected and it is believed left in the theatre in the roof space when the organ was removed.My guess is that they were broken up when the building was converted.Im presuming that the roof was taken off?
Seems to me that anything of any interest in this place has been swept away years ago.Looking at the photo of it as built-what a fantastic building but its been butchered beyond recognition now.Other big buildings such as the opera House,the Grand and the old Odeon (Funny girls) or now more worthy of listing.
The basis of the organ is i believe in a church in the midlands with the console reduced to two manuals and church pipework substituted for the the original.
The Ritz was destined to be their new flagship cinema ,but the untimely death of David Bernard put paid to that.The stage end of the theatre that was still under construction was hurredly finished off with a wall behind the proscenium and no stage facilities.A 3/16 WurliTzer organ was cancelled and the organ (a 3/8)destined for the Ritz Wigan was installed in its place.The organ is now in Sydney Australia.
The 2nd grand Compton was removed in the 1990`s and reinstalled in a music room in Tarleton-about 7-8 miles outside Southport.Oddly enough ,the first Compton is now being installed in Hesketh Bank(previous at Chorley Town Hall)which is an adjoining Parish.so now both grand organs are now within a couple of miles of each other!
The Compton organ was removed and eventually installed in the home of Manchester organist Joyce Alldred (who also had the Grand Southport organ in their organ shop).It was then sold to a Cheshire Farmer and the last i heard was in store awaiting installation.The console was Comptons take on the wurlitzer french style.This organ also had a French Trumpet of 37 notes.
The Regent WurliTzer was a style 165 X (2 manual six sets of pipes)which was quite rare.It means that its pipework was divided into two chambers one above the other on the right hand sidewall.It was removed in the early sixties or even 1959 and the chambers were used for air conditioning.This was broken up for parts although the little French console was paired up with a similar organ at from the Gaumont Exeter.This organ lost its console during the war.It now resides-ipswich console and Exeter pipework at the Burtey Fen collection in Pinchbeck,Lincolnshire.
Ken,
in fact the Wurlitzer wasnt broken up for parts.It was Cherry picked and the Music desk,Grand piano,Brass Saxaphone and Tibia Clausa went onto different organs.It was removed by the Cadence musical instrument Coand then sold onto Arthur Turner of Scarborough who installed it in the Hollywood cinema there-although his organ building skills were questionable.After his death,it was sold and is now awaiting installation in i believe Bexhill.The British Home Stores cafe now sits where the stage and Orchestra pit used to be and i often think back whilst drinking my Earl Gray!.
The organ is no longer there. The
Granadaends are now on the Christie organ at Castle Hill Church Ipswich and some of the pipework is there too.Actually the Wurlitzer had a rare Tibia Plena as well as a Tibia Clausa.Apparently the whole organ survived the bombing and was stored at the Odeon Shepherds Bush.But obviously by the late 1950`s they no longer wanted the bother of reinstalling the organ when the auditorium was rebuilt.The organ was then dispersed with some parts used on the Tower Blackpool Wurlitzer and the fire there.
Scaffolding was put up to commence demolition but as of January 2017 all the scaffolding has been removed.So looks like its reverted to its status as Liverpools most derelict cinema.
In fact the Astoria had a unique 2 manual 4 rank INGRAM organ and has recently been destroyed in an arson attack
davepring, I was working at the Apollo installing and updating the plasma a few years ago.Those to the windows and above the staircase are extremely difficult to get at because of the glass staircase and it doesnt surprise me that they are no longer working.The company i was working at no longer work for Vue.Vue are cheapskates and penny pinching and try to do things for themselves and balls it up in the process.At least Apollo under Paul Gregg and later his missus Anita tried to keep things working.
Apparently the Regal Christie organ was not destroyed in the fire (which was as a result of a direct hit on the stage end by a bomb).But the percussion
thumpof the bomb caused everything in the pipe chambers to lift up several inches and down again and everything fell about and was considered a write off.BUT the Standaart cinema organ from the Metropole in central London(which was bigger than the Regals organ) was being stored on the stage and as this was completely destroyed as it was behind the fire curtain.So this is the one that Kenneth was probably thinking about.The compton organ shown here is the Regal Bexleyheath shown in the pit on its lift. The Camden organ wasnt on a lift,didnt have a lit up surround and had four keyboards not three….
Apparently the old Osborne cinema on Oldham road and Birt street was also ThunderDome so did they move from the Osborne in 2010 when it was demolished?
Some sets of pipes went onto the
Pipes in the PeaksCompton in Derbyshire EnglandAs of April 1st 2016,the building is still deteiorating but on the Gable end of a shop next door(on the corner)is the original advertising which has been revealed due to the removal of a long standing advertising hoarding.Look in the photos.
The organ was supplanted by a newer model from the Savoy Leicester but then the thing grew and grew and became a monster of 5 manuals and 30 odd ranks of pipes.It was assumed at the time that the first organ (Compton 2-6)was joined with the next organ (Compton 3c-6).But then the whole lot was moved to the Bygones Village at Fleggburgh.Since that closed everything has been in store.oddly the Empire Aldershot is now looking for a replacement organ.
Was at the Troxy last night for the opening of the WurliTzer organ and it was Fantastic.The theatre was too,but only later on did i notice that the foyer is no longer the original double height shown in the original photo.It now has a false ceiling with i presume a big void above it presumably done when the building was a bingo hall.I wonder if they have any plans to open this space back up?
Royalty cinema still going strong as of May 2015.It now has a 2/7 WurliTzer from the Rex Stratford installed under the stage.May 19th sees the start of excavation for a lift for the Wurlitzer console and the addition of a phantom piano.
Here is the churches website and the interior looks stunning-it appears to have been decorated,recarpeted and re seated both in the stalls and the circle. http://www.cftchurches.org/index.php/about-us/cathedral-gallery
It seem really odd that this cinema is totally overlooked with no photos or information and is one of the few still retaining its organ.Goodness knows what state its Christie 3/10 is in.I believe that the owner of the building wanted an exorbitant amount for the organ which was of course declined.Has no one else tried to gain access to this building?
Yes this is correct that the Tesco Metro have converted the original building.Its been a tesco since i moved to the area in 1986.
The Wurlitzer was of course a 2/10 and on perusing the photos on Flickr it appears that the organ chamber shutters are still in place.Very odd when the organ is up and playing at Cotton in Suffolk.
Ive worked at the Apollo a few times installing plasma screens.It was odd knowing that i was working where the stalls once were.Ive attached a couple of pictures of the Plaza WurliTzer-one in the pit at the Plaza and the other at its first home in Ascot after being removed.The organ had an odd start to life.,the chambers were split either side of the proscenium.The solo organ and the 32
Diaphone disturbed nearby offices.The Solo organ was then moved up into the roof speaking out from above the proscenium which made it sound rather odd.The Diaphones were disconnected and it is believed left in the theatre in the roof space when the organ was removed.My guess is that they were broken up when the building was converted.Im presuming that the roof was taken off?Seems to me that anything of any interest in this place has been swept away years ago.Looking at the photo of it as built-what a fantastic building but its been butchered beyond recognition now.Other big buildings such as the opera House,the Grand and the old Odeon (Funny girls) or now more worthy of listing.
The basis of the organ is i believe in a church in the midlands with the console reduced to two manuals and church pipework substituted for the the original.
The Ritz was destined to be their new flagship cinema ,but the untimely death of David Bernard put paid to that.The stage end of the theatre that was still under construction was hurredly finished off with a wall behind the proscenium and no stage facilities.A 3/16 WurliTzer organ was cancelled and the organ (a 3/8)destined for the Ritz Wigan was installed in its place.The organ is now in Sydney Australia.
The 2nd grand Compton was removed in the 1990`s and reinstalled in a music room in Tarleton-about 7-8 miles outside Southport.Oddly enough ,the first Compton is now being installed in Hesketh Bank(previous at Chorley Town Hall)which is an adjoining Parish.so now both grand organs are now within a couple of miles of each other!
The Compton organ was removed and eventually installed in the home of Manchester organist Joyce Alldred (who also had the Grand Southport organ in their organ shop).It was then sold to a Cheshire Farmer and the last i heard was in store awaiting installation.The console was Comptons
takeon the wurlitzer french style.This organ also had aFrench Trumpetof 37 notes.The Regent WurliTzer was a style 165 X (2 manual six sets of pipes)which was quite rare.It means that its pipework was divided into two chambers one above the other on the right hand sidewall.It was removed in the early sixties or even 1959 and the chambers were used for air conditioning.This was broken up for parts although the little French console was paired up with a similar organ at from the Gaumont Exeter.This organ lost its console during the war.It now resides-ipswich console and Exeter pipework at the Burtey Fen collection in Pinchbeck,Lincolnshire.
Ken, in fact the Wurlitzer wasnt broken up for parts.It was Cherry picked and the Music desk,Grand piano,Brass Saxaphone and Tibia Clausa went onto different organs.It was removed by the Cadence musical instrument Coand then sold onto Arthur Turner of Scarborough who installed it in the Hollywood cinema there-although his organ building skills were questionable.After his death,it was sold and is now awaiting installation in i believe Bexhill.The British Home Stores cafe now sits where the stage and Orchestra pit used to be and i often think back whilst drinking my Earl Gray!.