Report - Hockley Palladium, Birmingham July 2021

[mookster]

Probably a good decade later than I should have done this, I finally found myself inside Hockley Palladium.

Located in the Hockley district in the north of Birmingham. Originally opened on 15th November 1911 as the Hockley Picture House, it had 506 seats. It was re-built and enlarged to the plans of architect L.L. Dussault, re-opening as the New Palladium Cinema on 8th November 1922. The opening film was Isobel Elsom in "The Game of Life". The 3-storey building had a tiled mansard roof on top of its facade. Inside the auditorium, there was an elegant decorative scheme and seating was locating in stalls and circle levels. The projection box was located beneath the circle, above the rear stalls seating area. From 22nd October 1936, it was taken over by the Associated British Cinemas(ABC) chain, and was re-named Palladium Cinema. It continued to operate successfully as an inner city neighbourhood cinema for many years. The Palladium Cinema was closed on 13th February 1965 with Gerald Hatray in "The Spy" and Francoise Arnoul in "Daggers Drawn"(A Couteaux Tires). It became a bingo club, which operated until closing in the late-1970’s. The building then lay empty and unused for many years, and still stands in a deteriorating condition in 2021

My first and only other visit here was on a cold rainy day in December 2012, when me and TBM walked from the GKN site in Smethwick to Hockley to have a look. I don't like Birmingham as a city at all, I never have, and Hockley is a particularly rough and unpleasant part of it to find yourself in. Walking along the streets with the locals staring at us it genuinely felt like we were going to be attacked, and when we got to the outside of the cinema the road and pavements were far too busy to even think about climbing up anywhere, so we sacked it off.

Access at the moment is somewhat more 'blatant' than it used to be, but after one of us reassured the neighbouring shopkeeper who was eyeing us with a good deal of suspicion that we weren't up to no good and just wanted photos he was fine with watching us disappear inside. All in all I was happy to finally get this one in the bag, it's a pretty place inside and has held up rather well considering the auditorium has been disused for over 40 years.

Thanks for looking

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[HughieD]

Interesting little explore that @mookster

 

[Mikeymutt]

Very nice that mate. I remember going to the old Sandwell college in Birmingham and felt a bit on edge. But nothing to the clune park estate in Scotland

 

[Calamity Jane]

40 yrs! It has stood the test of time extremely well. Great photos, nice decay and some great features still about. I probably shouldn't say this, but they don't make crutches like that anymore

 

[KPUrban_]

Nice, from an architectural stand point, building that. Well captured.

 

[chills]

One of my first explores. Gone down the pan slightly with graffiti and such since I first visited. I climbed in through the hole in the wall before discovering the slightly easier access - d’oh!

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Can't believe it's still standing lol.
Nicely covered

 

[Wally_urbex]

Not changed at all since I went. And what's wrong with Birmingham? Lol. would much rather walk round there then London!

 

[Siimot]

Great pictures looks like cool explore

 

[RXQueen]

Love it.

I went yesterday, was wondering if you or anyone else knows the story behind all the kids crutches there.