Arthur Wilde RIP

Arthur Wilde was the projectionist at the Theatre Royal in Hyde for over 35 years and when the cinema closed down Arthur became the caretaker of the building until ill health two years ago forced him to give up the theatre all together. Arthur had worked at a lot of the cinemas in the Hyde, Denton and Ashton areas. He knew a lot about the Theatre Royal Hyde and his knowledge of local cinemas was vast.

I took this photo of him in 2007 at the Heritage Open Day - see more photos of the theatre at http://www.geraldengland.co.uk/gx/royal.htm.

There are some photos on Arthur on the Hyde, Cheshire blog and another of him outside the theatre in 2010 on Hyde DP Xtra.

I wish I could tell you more about him but I can't.

A contribution to The Weekend in Black and White.

Signs on The Theatre Royal

A "To let/may sell" notice has gone up on the side of the Theatre Royal.

Whilst that might seem like bad news for theatre lovers it isn't so as any interested party needs to understand that the theatre is a Grade 2 listed building. As such, listed building consent must be applied for in order to make any changes to the building which might affect its special interest.

The Theatre Royal Trust have drawn up an options appraisal which should allow the building to be used as a cinema/theatre in the future.

A contribution to signs, signs.

Croft Millennium Green 2010

Today's photo is by Mavis Nichols. It was taken in July 2010 and shows a game of cricket on the Croft Millennium Green. Since then a Multi-Use Games Area has been constructed on the Green.

In the background is the Theatre Royal. Muriel is secretary of the Theatre Royal Onward Trust dedicated to seeing it eventually reopen.

I am away in St Annes until next Monday. A series of posts have been scheduled over the period but as I expect to be offline they won't be tweeted by me nor posted on Facebook.

Henry Street Exit

I showed you the Henry Street Exit to the Theatre Royal back in September 2006 and it looks much the same, except that recently some work was done to weather-proof the outside of the building.

It remains closed but the Theatre Royal Onward Trust are still battling to get it restored.

More of my own photos of the theatre can be seen on Theatre Royal Photos.

See more Monday Doorways at San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Skywatch Friday: Theatre Royal Lamp Holder

A lampholder outside the Theatre Royal.

Read more about the theatre on Old Hyde.

See more skys on Skywatch Friday.

Skywatch Friday: The Theatre Royal

A look down Corporation Street at the Theatre Royal, looking slightly better than it has done in recent months following recent building work.

There is a new website now for Hyde Theatre Royal Onward, the trust set up to save this historic theatre for the town.

My own photographs, mainly from the Heritage Open Days can be found at http://www.geraldengland.co.uk/gx/royal.htm.

This post is a contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Work at the Theatre Royal

I recently showed you the boarded up doorway to the Theatre Royal 2 Cinema on the corner of Henry Street and Onward Street. The old notice-boards and sign had been removed.

I was passing there again last week and saw these builders at work on the building. Some plastering has been done and the window-frames are being fitted with metal shutters and vents. I don't know on whose behalf the work was being undertaken.

The Theatre Royal Onward Trust have been working since 1999 to acquire the building and restore it. Getting there is not easy but the fight is not lost. One day it will re-open.

More of my own photos of the theatre can be seen on Theatre Royal Hyde Photographs.

Royal 2 Doorway

The boarded up doorway to the Theatre Royal 2 Cinema on the corner of Henry Street and Onward Street.

The old notice-boards and sign have recently been removed highlighting the distressed state of the building.

The Theatre Royal Onward Trust have been working since 1999 to acquire the building and restore it. Getting there is not easy but the fight is not lost. One day it will re-open.

More of my photos of the theatre can be seen on Theatre Royal Hyde Photographs.

For more Monday doorways (and hopefully prettier ones) visit San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

ABC Wednesday: O is for Onward

Onward is the motto of Hyde Corporation.

The Hyde coat of arms is described on the Tameside MBC website as

Argent, a chevron nebuly argent between three lozenges Or; on a chief of the second a flake erect surmounted by a hatter's bow in bend sinister between a cog-wheel and two miners' pick in saltire, therefrom suspended a Davy lamp, all proper. Crest: On a wreath of the colours, Upon a pack of cotton prints azure, banded and semee of mascles Or, a sprig of the cotton-tree, slipped and fructed, in bend sinister surmounted of a shuttle furnished in bend proper. Motto: Onward. Granted: 18 July 1882.

The Arms reflects the reasons for its establishment as an independent town - its industry. Cotton is shown by the cotton pattern and shuttle, coal by the miner's axe and the Davy lamp, and hatting by the hatters bow. The lower part of the shield contained the Arms of the manorial family of Hyde.

This photograph features part of the frieze on the Theatre Royal.

Onward is my own motto too as I try and move forward after my recent stays in hospital. I've an out-patient's appointment next Monday and will know more then. Meanwhile I'm trying to just take things a bit easy.

For more "O" posts visit ABC Wednesday.

Stepping into Stepping Hill

I'm going into Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport this week. I was going to pre-schedule a series of photographs to cover my time away but have decided against the idea.

I have a few photographs in my files for use when I return but it may be a little while before I can get out with the camera and take new pictures. So the blog will be on hiatus for a couple of weeks or so.

I'll be going into theatre on Wednesday. Meanwhile on Heritage Open Day last weekend, there was a queue outside the Theatre Royal in Hyde but alas no going in. You can see the video on Hyde DP Xtra.

A Model of the Theatre Royal

One of the exhibits at Gee Cross Fete was a model of the Theatre Royal made by Alan Tolfrey a modelmaker from Mossley.

See more of his models at Mossley Modelmaker.

See my own photographs of the theatre at http://www.geraldengland.co.uk/gx/royal.htm.

Read more about the fight to preserve and reopen the theatre at Theatre Royal Onward.

Find more of my photos of this year's fete at Gee Cross Fete 2011.