Everyman York
Blossom Street,
York,
YO24 1AJ
Blossom Street,
York,
YO24 1AJ
14 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 100 of 143 comments
another picture for you Tim
best
kev p
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Had the opportunity to have a very quick look round the building yesterday, thanks to the selling agents, and take a few pics. The idea I’m planning is to hopefully follow the planned refurbishment right the way through and produce a photographic record, subject to the new owners permission of course.
The building is thankfully still weather-tight apart from a small pool of water in an upstairs corridor outside the projection booth for Screen 1 (The projector is still there as well as the cake-stand platter) Also a smashed panel in the front doors where some had gotten in behind the security boarding (now secure again)
Downstairs, currently housing the small screens 2 & 3 it smelt a bit damp. It will be interesting to see how the plans to create 3 screen in this area will come about. If you wanted to see a film here in the past you generally made sure it was playing in the large screen 1 as these 2 where rather pokey!
Its a fascinating rabbit-warren of a building, with store rooms staircase all over the place.
Hope to make contact with the new owners soon and maybe be allowed a longer visit next time.
Tim.
If those photos can be scanned, and placed on flickr or another website & linked here, many of us would enjoy looking at them. I’d rather look at the pretty theater than the projection room, but I’m sure many here would be pleased to look at the photos of the projection room, too!
Hi Mark, You’ll no doubt see from all my posts on here how involved I am with the Odeon and the long running campaign to prevent it from closing and now, hopefully under its new owners, being restored to its glory.
Would be interested to know if I could see copies of your photo’s etc as I’ve a great passion for this building and have worked on researching its history for a number of years along with the other cinemas that used to be in York. I’m always interested in collating peoples memories etc, if you’d be up for it? I used to work at the Warner Bros multiscreen for the first 4 years of its operation.
You can email me at
Hello everyone
I am new to this site I used to be a projectionist at this cinema in 1997 its sad news that it closed but was always on my mind back then thats why I moved to another cinema.I have photos of the interior and projection rooms with all the equipment.
In the top box was a cinemcanic vic 8 on a large peditstal and a dolby cp1000 processor and philips non rewind platter system .
In the lower boxes were vic 9s small vertical lamphouse and dolby CP45 processors It was a good place to work bottom projection rooms were a bit tight for space.
The cinema its self was very art deco with a lowered ceiling in the top foyer hinding art deco painting and plasterwork which still needs to see the day light any questions please ask.
I now work and live in Australia as a cinema projectionist at a ten screen complex in Melbourne
Mark Iceton
Another photo from 1991 here – a visit by the Cinema Theatre Association :–
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Thanks Strutting Rooster. Its been hard work but such fantastic news makes it all worthwhile.
Yorkshire Evening Press do have a library, but for photographs not back issues.
The holdings for these are with Yorks central reference library, details below.
York City Library
Library Square
Museum Street
York, YO1 7DS
01904 655631
www.york.gov.uk
They are either on microfilm or hand bound newspapers, depends on the year. Most are on microfilm though as I’ve made use of it many a time for my cinema research.
They go back in to the Victorian period as far as I’m aware.
Regards
Its great news that the cinema is reopening as a cinema and not as some vile nightclub. Well done Tim! York is proud of you!
Does anyone have any listings for the films the Odeon showed in the 70s and 80s? Also, do the Yorkshire Evening Press offices have back issues to peruse for Odeon listings? Does anyone know how far back the issues go?
In response to posting by Howard the mural runs round the upper wall of the former balcony foyer upstairs. The area is lit by the three large windows you can see on the facade, but in the early 1960’s as part of Odeons modernisation for the cinema a false ceiling was installed lowering the height and cutting out a lot of the natural light form the windows in the process. If you look at the picture on the top of this posting the top three panes of glass on each window look into the void above the false ceiling. This ceiling is now just under the bottom of the mural and it still survives intact above as well, I’m told the original large hanging light fitting.
The plans for the balcony is for 2 screens, not 3 which is a shame as the original space was one of the reasons to visit the building but sensitively done it means that they should still have the big screen feel. We await to see their plans for this space.
York has a multiscreen on the outskirts of the city but for a lot of people central facilities are a lot more convenient. That complex is now 17 years old and hasn’t been refurbsihed in 17 years!! Also the cost of tickets and associated food etc is one of the most expensive in the area. The arts cinema does a good trade but the gap left when the Odeon closed proves that a city centre mainstream venue is still needed.
Coupled with York undergoing a massive population explosion over the last few years with many large scale housing developments going up in the area hopefully means that this deco gem will be welcomed with open arms by residents and visitors alike. If it means that the building will be restored to its former glory then i’ll go into the city and drag people in myself if needs be :¬))
The stories now on the news page.
Thanks for your continued support Kev.
Tim.
Hi Ian,
Sorry I didn’t get to introduce myself on the night. I realised after the event that there were quite a few fellow enthusiasts who had made the trip especially.
Give the projectionist his/her dues as it was there spur-of-the-momentidea entirely to raise the house lights when our group came in.
I was pleased that my small group of friends were all up for it.
Thing is now what to wear for the re-opening.
I have once visited York and seen the exterior of this theater, but wasn’t inside.
Where is the hidden mural?
If the balcony auditorium is going to be triplexed, will 3 not very large screens be up there instead of the large screen seen in the photos?
Who will attend the reopened theater if there’s movie theaters for mainstream films, and art films, nearby? Are those theaters convenient, comfortable, and up to date?
Of course, that this theater isn’t to be demolished (which seems the fate of the Manchester one) is great
Yes Tim! I am THAT Ian !!!! (aka stagedoor on flickr for the closing night pics). Your group certainly made a spectacular entrance – added a showmanship style sadly lacking from Odeon for the occasion.
To quote from ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, Kev, “From your mouth to God’s ears”
fabulous news : hats off to you and your campaign Tim, and let’s raise a glass to you and Reel Cinema !
Next…St.Albans….
Kev P
Not for definite yet. The news announced today stated that they hoped to carry out an initial clean up first and get it open as soon as August, but this may be a bit optimistic. Then once open they will implement the major refurbishment, restoration etc ( I would love to see the mural reinstated )They aim to keep screens open for the majority of time whilst work is done on other areas so that they have constant business coming in.
Just as a point of interest are you the same Ian who provided the Odeon photo at the top of this entry?
Were you there on closing night? I was speaking to David Eve and he mentioned an Ian who was taking photo’s of the interior that evening. Didn’t get a chance really to speak to all those who had made the journey especially.
For my sines I was the chap dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow for the farewell.
Tim.
Excellent news! Any news on the opening date?
Good news everyone. The Odeon’s lease has been bought by Reel Cinemas who plan to reopen the building and restore it to its Art Deco glory. I have submitted a story for the Cinema Treasures news page so read more there when its posted.
Tim.
Gallery of pics, including some from the final night, can be found here – well worth the long trip from Glasgow, even if the closing film was lacklustre!
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Good Luck guys.
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?!?!?!?
It has been reported today that a leading UK cinema is one of the main contenders to take over the former Odeon building.
The closing date for offers on the lease was last week, and the site is believed to have attracted a great deal of interest, although new uses or proposals have been kept under wraps.
An announcement should be made in the next few weeks, according to the selling agents, who have also said that they believe its a good site and shouldn’t be closed.
The offers are now being considered by the Odeon board.
I’m not one to count chickens before they have hatched, but I would hope everyone on Cinema Treasures will keep their fingers crossed for the campaign team and indeed for the filmgoers of York.
Will update when I hear more.
Tim.
Update:– Selling agents for the cinema have set a final deadline of February 28 for offers on the lease.
According to reports, 15 interested parties have come forward as part of the informal tender process. Potential new owners have been told to submit their “final and best offers” by this date.
It is thought that there has been a wide range of interest from developers to leisure operators, so it now remains to be seen who will come forward with the best offer and what these plans for future use are. The only rumour to have come from this process has been the idea of turning it into a snooker club. Any other plans/uses have not been made public.
Under a user clause the building can be used as a cinema, theatre or other place of public entertainment, and we understand that more than one regional cinema operator have tentatively expressed an interest in taking it over.
The lease was on offer for bids over £650,000, which includes the complex of shop units that are part of the cinema building.
This is a building of national importance. No Odeon retains it’s original interior but although York is probably most recognised from its fabulous art deco brick exterior, the interior remains largely intact, through a sensitive tripling scheme in the early 1970’s.
What an opportunity for an enlightened new owner to put back some of the 1937 splendor again. Uncover the mural and the grilles in the auditorium, the orchestra pit rail, and get the cove lighting working again. Reinstate some of the painted effects, such as the banding round the double main staircase.
York is in need of quality entertainment venues and the Odeon has this in spades, it just needs a light makeover.
More news to follow.
Let the Odeon
Tim: Thanks for all your hard work. Is there any way that a qualified investor can lease or purchase the theatre? Who does one contact?
THE ODEON CELEBRATED ITS 70TH BIRTHDAY ON THURSDAY THE 1ST OF FEBRUARY – SADLY IN A SHUTTERED STATE AND NO LONGER WELCOMING FILMS FANS.
Talks are apparently going on between the council and a prospective purchaser of the lease (although I have been informed at this stage these are confidential) and concern issues over the listed status of the building and what can and cannot be done to the cinema. Campaigners have heard on the grapevine that one company have made approaches to run it into a snooker club! How this would effect the interior is anyones guess, but its vitally important now, and under any new plans that any original features are preserved. A lot remains covered over including the foyer mural and large trough light fixture which has been out of the publics gaze for over 40 years. The original ventilation grilles in the auditorium also survive but were boxed in when the cinema was tripled in 1972 and the seating extended forwards.
This is a unique example of cinema architecture and the interior is largely intact. Anything which will needlessly alter or destroy this will be opposed.
There is no sense as to why the interior shouldn’t be brought back to life. We are just seeking an enlightened new owner who loves the building as much as we do!!
More news when I have it.
Tim.
Hey
I’m a student studying at interior design at Huddersfield University. I was wondering if anybody could help on the current state of the interior of the cinema, wall finishes, celing, floorings, etc? Its for my final year project. I used to attend the cinema all the time but i cant quite remember what some details are. If you could email in , if anybody has any information.
Thankyou
Gail Jackson
Exactly Kev – Leisure sector can cover a multitude of uses AND misuses, so thats why I’m deferring proper celebrations till the purchaser and future use of our Odeon are known.
One of my campaign colleagues has spent a lot of time approaching potential new operators with a view to them taking on the lease. From what I know he hasn’t had very much of positive feedback or response. Price of the lease seems to have been a factor (were they wanting freehold??)cost of refurbishment to anything approaching a decent standard as well as the decision by a major circuit to abandon York seems to have put them off.
I am also in the process of contacting the councils conservation officer to see if the selling agents have made any approach to them with regards the issues over the listed building status as detailed in the newspaper report.
Its even more important that features should be preserved and not fall to some half-assed cheap re-development.
As always, more news when I have it.