Landsdowne Picture Palace

The entrance now makes way for the Sainsbury's supermarket on the corner of London Rd and Boston St.

Until about a year ago I'd never seen the original fascade of this building. My memory of it is pretty black and white, literally. I remember it painted white in my earlier years, and then since, painted black.

This corner has been home to the same entrance way since 1914, it's only behind it that's changed recently. Cinematreasures.org reads:

The Lansdowne Picture Palace was designed by architect Walter Gerard Buck of Campo Lane, Sheffield. It stands at the junction of London Road and Boston Street and opened on 18th December 1914. Brick built, it had a marble terracotta facade in white and green with a Chinese pagoda style entrance with arched windows on the side elevation.

It served as a 'Picture Palace' until the air raids in 1940 when it closed abruptly. It's next use was as a Marks and Spencer's store after the City Centre branch was destroyed during the blitz. In 1950 it became the Locarno Ball Room. After that it stayed as a dancing venue, next as Tiffany's Night Club followed by The Palais, The Music Factory, Club Generation and then finally ending it's dancing days as Bed (on Citysnapper.org a photo can be seen in it's state after Bed closed).

The auditorium/club has now been flattened to make way for student accomodation and shops but the entrance has been restored to it's former glory and been put to use as the entrance to the 'Sainsbury's Local' supermarket.