Good things come to those who wait.... and wait i have for quite some time for an openeing here, and recently, my patience has been rewarded 
Opened on Monday 1st of October, 1910... the Borough theatre was built to replace the old Royal theatre at Portugal Place that had burned down 4 years before. It was designed by architects J Fleming-Davidson and CD James, with an ornate front lobby and a huge marble central staircase, it had seating for 1'640 people.
Rumour has it Stan Laurel was a regular here (He was born in North Shields) before he got his big break in Hollywood.
It was bought by the Gourmont chain in 1946 where it was altered to become a cinema. Now, being one of three in the area it struggled to compete and, despite rumours that it may be turned into a bingo hall, the cinema closed its doors in 1960.
The old cinema was modified to house an amusement arcade and Impulse recording studios where Lindesfarne recorded alot of their early stuff. but when the amusement chain went bust in 2005, the building has stood empty.
And it looks like the previous owners left in an awful hurry.
This was a very opportune explore and my pics, unfortuantly are far from good...... with no tripod and my hands shaking like mad, i soon forgot about taking pics at all and just immersed myself in the explore. The area around the recording studios was totally pitch black, i was relying on the flash from my camera phone to get around!
Straight up the stairs i came to this........
an open door at the end of a corridor and just, blackness. All i could see were the holes in the roof and i could feel the cold draught running through the place and somehow you know that you are standing on the edge of a huge open space.... and iron ladders with a huge ass hole in the bottom! It took my eyes a while to adjust and the camera saw more than me, It was obvious that this was the space above the auditoruim.... but how do i get there??
The lines across the pic are what is holding up the false ceiling. They were bolted right in to the original plasterwork on the ceiling :O
A scramble in the dark later and i was into the auditoruim and i wasnt dissapointed!
Sorry, CRAP pic but my hands were shaking so bad i could hardly hold the camera!!!
A bar, ON the stage, and someone who likes Newcastle Amber Ale...
The stage. The huge curtains were sat there to rot, the screen is nowhere to be seen.
infront of the stage, where the seats should have been seemed like it had been concreted over, and looked to be an arcade machine graveyard!!!
There were some lights on as i made my way out of the theatre and into what looked to be the offices for the arcades. Very 70's retro.... i loved it! Last thing you want though, if to be dived bombed by several frantic pidgeons... especially when you are on your own!!!
new pants please........
I think, my fave shot of the day (Had composed myself a little by this point!)
original toilets? they were at the end of a long and very dark tiled corridor.
I called this room 'pidgeon central' a while ago when we had some strong winds, the door was blown open, and is still not quite secured, 1 floor up, perfect pidgeon house! For anyone that drives past, this is the room behind the balcony doors at the front
The place really was a mess, you can't see the floor in some places for stuff, old tapes, cd's.... a box full of ladybird books even!
So, upstairs exhausted i moved onto the ground floor and the amusements. With only the emergency lighting on this was really atmospheric..... my feet were squelching in the waterlogged carpet, i could hear the sounds of life going on outside......i could have spent all day here!!
sorry, another crap one but this was the reception for the arcade.
So, there you go sorry about the crapness of some of the pics.... was my first solo explore and i have to admit, i was getting severley spooked! Fighting against the feeling to just get out, and at the same time feeling like a kid in a sweet shop!
This place totally warrants a return visit,my pics are crap, and i never did find that marble staircase!!!
Watch this space
She.
Opened on Monday 1st of October, 1910... the Borough theatre was built to replace the old Royal theatre at Portugal Place that had burned down 4 years before. It was designed by architects J Fleming-Davidson and CD James, with an ornate front lobby and a huge marble central staircase, it had seating for 1'640 people.
Rumour has it Stan Laurel was a regular here (He was born in North Shields) before he got his big break in Hollywood.
It was bought by the Gourmont chain in 1946 where it was altered to become a cinema. Now, being one of three in the area it struggled to compete and, despite rumours that it may be turned into a bingo hall, the cinema closed its doors in 1960.
The old cinema was modified to house an amusement arcade and Impulse recording studios where Lindesfarne recorded alot of their early stuff. but when the amusement chain went bust in 2005, the building has stood empty.
And it looks like the previous owners left in an awful hurry.
This was a very opportune explore and my pics, unfortuantly are far from good...... with no tripod and my hands shaking like mad, i soon forgot about taking pics at all and just immersed myself in the explore. The area around the recording studios was totally pitch black, i was relying on the flash from my camera phone to get around!
Straight up the stairs i came to this........
an open door at the end of a corridor and just, blackness. All i could see were the holes in the roof and i could feel the cold draught running through the place and somehow you know that you are standing on the edge of a huge open space.... and iron ladders with a huge ass hole in the bottom! It took my eyes a while to adjust and the camera saw more than me, It was obvious that this was the space above the auditoruim.... but how do i get there??
The lines across the pic are what is holding up the false ceiling. They were bolted right in to the original plasterwork on the ceiling :O
A scramble in the dark later and i was into the auditoruim and i wasnt dissapointed!
Sorry, CRAP pic but my hands were shaking so bad i could hardly hold the camera!!!
A bar, ON the stage, and someone who likes Newcastle Amber Ale...
The stage. The huge curtains were sat there to rot, the screen is nowhere to be seen.
infront of the stage, where the seats should have been seemed like it had been concreted over, and looked to be an arcade machine graveyard!!!
There were some lights on as i made my way out of the theatre and into what looked to be the offices for the arcades. Very 70's retro.... i loved it! Last thing you want though, if to be dived bombed by several frantic pidgeons... especially when you are on your own!!!
new pants please........
I think, my fave shot of the day (Had composed myself a little by this point!)
original toilets? they were at the end of a long and very dark tiled corridor.
I called this room 'pidgeon central'
a while ago when we had some strong winds, the door was blown open, and is still not quite secured, 1 floor up, perfect pidgeon house! For anyone that drives past, this is the room behind the balcony doors at the front The place really was a mess, you can't see the floor in some places for stuff, old tapes, cd's.... a box full of ladybird books even!
So, upstairs exhausted i moved onto the ground floor and the amusements. With only the emergency lighting on this was really atmospheric..... my feet were squelching in the waterlogged carpet, i could hear the sounds of life going on outside......i could have spent all day here!!
sorry, another crap one but this was the reception for the arcade.
So, there you go sorry about the crapness of some of the pics.... was my first solo explore and i have to admit, i was getting severley spooked! Fighting against the feeling to just get out, and at the same time feeling like a kid in a sweet shop!
This place totally warrants a return visit,my pics are crap, and i never did find that marble staircase!!!
Watch this space
She.
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