Odyssey Cinema
166 London Road,
St. Albans,
AL1 1PQ
166 London Road,
St. Albans,
AL1 1PQ
1 person
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2015 video tour after restoration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2xSfC5plSM&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2QMSdren94wx5h9LQ4V9BmMqZlssssLJP61cVNwkqP_fRqFOgAgwG5Mn0
Photos from May 2016:–
EXTERIOR
FOYER
AUDTORIUM TO SCREEN
AUDITORIUM TO REAR
ACROSS BALCONY
I wonder how many other cinemas have the same address? Liverpool had a cinema at 166 London Road. https://www.flickr.com/photos/44435674@N00/236169322/in/photolist-mSqUS-9AouEP-yVk8rb-27qCWK-z5wSZn-zc1FLZ
The photos are from the opening night and some of the features where not fully ready, the front of the balcony appeared to have wires to have lights fitted to aluminate that tabs and the rex has footlights, and these may will be present but where not on during the opening night. I was in buying tickets the other day and the electricians where finishing lighting off including reinstating so when I go back I will post a photo withe original art deco light covers. I am back on 27th December and will post photos of the fully finished article including illuminated tabs.
Congratulations to all those involved in the reversal of the subdivision and restoration of this cinema. While the big boys are further carving up theirs (Empire Leicester Square etc), James Hannaway and his team of visionaries are doing the exact opposite……..and using house and screen tabs!
The philosophy with the circuits seems to be that no one is interested in fancy decor or curtains – in any case it is unnecessary; well, this could be said about many things in life but the people at Berkhamsted, Evesham and now St Albans seem to be testimony to the importance of the “unnecessary”.
One observation re the auditorium photo; are the house tabs illuminated via footlights or pageant lighting? they do not appear to be lit on this particular shot.
Congratulations once again; I wish that we had somewhere like the aforementioned places here in the North East but apart from the main auditorium at the Tyneside Cinema (and that is a former News Cinema so does not quite count) I am sorry to say that they are all multi screen popcorn sheds!
Perhaps Mr Hannaway could come up to Stockton On Tees and give some valuable advice with the ABC Globe which is slowly but surely being restored; apparently the fly tower is going to remain sealed off and there will be no films – and, I dare say, no curtains either………….
Four interior shots from the mid to late 1980’s – they have been digitally rescued from negatives of poor original shots, but give some idea of the interior of the Odeon when it was up and running.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/4914949237/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/4914949057/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/4914948917/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/4914948747/
more photos on www.stalbansodeon.blogspot.com – taken since we’ve heard that James Hannaway is hoping to complete purchase of the Odeon and to restore it as a working cinema (hurrah!!!! At last)
There are, surely, two issues here which ‘begger’ belief, especially as we’re supposedly a world-leading power. First of all that we have laws in place in this country which enable its usage as a cinema to be blocked by the operators of a multiplex 8 MILES away, and secondly that the council of a town with INTERNATIONAL significance can allow ANY building to get into this state. In Richmond, Surrey, Odeon themselves re-opened a derelict cinema just around the corner from their main screens, with great success.
Recent photos here (February 2009)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/3313868950/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/3313042207/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/3313868610/
seems the property developers have partially given in…. and allowed one of our stalwarts
James Hannaway ( rex berkhamstad ) to pop in and check the building out…
http://www.hertsad.co.uk/search/story.aspx?
brand=HADOnline&category=News&itemid=WEED31%20Dec%202008%2015:56:22:127&tBra
nd=HADOnline&tCategory=search
Another exterior – with a plainer decor than the 1988 shot above – here:–
View link
Photographed in September 1949 playing the ABC circuit release:
View link
A photograph from the 1960’s:
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Exterior in 1988 here:-
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/77307744/
Proscenium arch in main screen here:-
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/77307746/
One of the mini’s beneath the balcony here:-
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/77307748/
Picture across the balcony here:-
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/77307747/