The Odeon cinema, Cheltenham - September/October 2014 - A demolition special

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Lady Grey

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 14, 2010
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Location
Cheltenham
It is with great sadness that I deliver a report on the demolition of the iconic and much loved Odeon cinema in Cheltenham. As a Cheltonian born and bred, I was lucky enough to have visited the Odeon on numerous occasion, especially during my childhood in the 1970's.

The cinema originally opened as The Gaumont Palace Theatre in 1933, it became The Gaumont in 1937. The iconic dancing figures on the facade of the building were designed by renowned sculptor Newbury Abbot Trent.
The cinema became The Odeon in 1962, and played host to the likes of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The Odeon finally closed on the 5th November 2006.
Demolition of The Odeon began in September 2014 and was completed this month.

http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.u...iconic-Odeon/story-22211619-detail/story.html

http://www.change.org/p/william-ruc...ander-obe-keep-our-naked-ladies-in-cheltenham

Acknowledgements; P.Jillings for additional photography, the use of computer equipment, and many other things
And the anonymous person who made one discreet cut in the mesh netting. It made photography a hell of a lot easier!

The Odeon in 1999

Odeon1999.jpg

The exquisite frieze, in my opinion it is an important work of art, and should remain in Cheltenham.
OdeonFriezecopy.jpg

September 8th
FrontofOdeonone8-9-14.jpg

14th September
BackofOdeonTwo14-9-2014copy.jpg

22nd September
BackoftheOdeonFive22-9-2014.jpg

BackofOdeonFour22-9-2014.jpg

FrontofOdeonThree24-9-2014.jpg

24th September
OdeonfromAlbionStreetSixcopy.jpg

28th September
Eight28-9-2014.jpg

Nine28-9-2014.jpg

29th September
BackoftheOdeonSeven29-9-2014.jpg

2nd October
Eleven2-10-2014.jpg

Ten2-10-2014.jpg

Twelve2-10-2014.jpg

8th October
Thirteen8-10-2014.jpg

Fourteen8-10-2014.jpg

Before demolition of the exterior began, the friezes were removed, as this photo taken on the 8th October reveals.
Fifteen8-10-2014.jpg

11th October
Odeonsite11-10-2014.jpg

This rather impressive relic is all that remained of The Odeon on the 11th October. An ironic symbol of the disregard for industry and heritage, that we have in this country.
BritishDawnaysSteel11-10-2014.jpg
 
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Offical vandalism at its best no doubt be replaced by a building that no one will look twice at. Though I supect any features will be sold off and leave the area. Thanks for posting the photos.
 
The Odeon Burton On Trent had a large verticle box sign the same as this (the one on my photo ) think these signs were used up and down the country from the mid 60's right up to the late 80's, not seen one since 1996 when ours got removed.
Sad to see a classic cinema reduced to rubble, why people dont see the potential in these old cinemas i'l never know, guess they are not easy to convert into other uses.
The modern age has killed of cinema going sadly, well in the way it was back in the good old days before the multiplex era distroyed the old ones.

THE ODEON
 
Sad, but fascinating to see the demolition. The size of the steelwork is incredible, and from an era when people were proud enough to paint their name on it.
Great stuff, thanks for sharing! :)
 
So sad that. So what films did you see there that stick in your mind?
 
I was lucky, because back in the 1970's, my Mother worked as an usherette at the Coliseum in Albion Street, which was demolished in 2011, and The Odeon a few years later. Both cinemas became a play ground for my Brother and I. We saw all the obvious Disney films, but I remember seeing a really unusual animated film called Fantastic Planet (I think).
I saw The Omen - The Final Conflict, when my brother and I were both underage. Philadelphia was a ground breaking film back in the day, I saw it 3 times. It was at a time of great change in my life, the memory of watching that film will stay with me forever. The last film that I remember seeing at The Odeon, was The Hours. By that time, The Odeon had been converted to a 7 screen cinema.The screen was so small, that it was like watching a film in a cupboard!
 
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There is a cinema down my end (Grimsby) which has been closed for several years and i have explored this one two occasions it would bea great shame if it happend same with this place....
 

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