The Empire.

garinda · 28-02-2007, 11:08

My parents always talked fondly of the Empire, a dance hall in Ossy in the '50's and early '60's.

I knew that it was near the Palladium, but always assumed it was demolished. In fact it is still there, and can be seen up a little alley near the old Ossy Technical school, with the red bricked Country Kitchens on the corner, which used to be a pub, but whose name escapes me.

Before it was a dance hall it was a cinema. My Mum told me it was the cheapest of the four cinemas in Ossy, as you had to sit on wooden benches!

Anyone else used to go bopping at Ossy's rock 'n' roll Empire?

WillowTheWhisp · 28-02-2007, 11:12

Now I want to go on an expedition to have a look.

garinda · 28-02-2007, 11:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Now I want to go on an expedition to have a look.

It's an old building, and wasn't a purpose built cinema, it looks a bit like an old sunday school, or something indusrtial. It has an old sign up saying Killingbeck Engineering, who was someone I knew, and looks like it is still in use as something.

WillowTheWhisp · 28-02-2007, 11:24

I shall have to try to persuade Busman to chauffer me up there when he's feeling a bit brighter. He's a bit poorly at the mo but soldiering on at work.

garinda · 28-02-2007, 11:25

Don't know if the link to this map will work, but the little alley isn't shown on this map, but as you are coming up Union Road it is the next turning after Foxhill Bank Brow, with Country Kitchens on the corner.

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.c...x=289&down.y=8

WillowTheWhisp · 28-02-2007, 11:27

We'd be coming along Moscow Mill St so it isn't a million miles from the end of there.

panther · 28-02-2007, 14:42

i thought it was the palladium! that used to be a cinema

WillowTheWhisp · 28-02-2007, 19:48

It did. ........

cashman · 28-02-2007, 23:12

your spot on rindy with your location of the Empire dance hall. went to a reunion up james st a few years ago now.

firefighter753 · 01-03-2007, 09:50

Quote:

went to a reunion up james st a few years ago now

It won't be long before we are having a James St reunion.

mez · 01-03-2007, 10:23

i practially lived up th' empire in my teens saturday, sunday, & wednesday night..sometimes friday night too ooo it were terrific, i remember being taken to the empire cinema ossy to watch the story of the miricale of fatima from st mary's school.

Lolly · 01-03-2007, 15:59

Garinda is it the building i've marked with the yellow star??

garinda · 01-03-2007, 16:43

I think it is the building behind Country Kitchens in the photograph.
You go down the little alley between Country Kitchens and the building you marked with the yellow asterix, and it's the building running northish to southish in the photograph.

Hope that's clear (...as mud.)

Thanks Lolly.

Lolly · 01-03-2007, 17:01

Aah!! right. I knew it was there but never took any notice of it. If you look at it from Union Rd. At the other side of Country Kitchens from the alley way. Up the side of the building it looks like part of its been knocked down at some point and that there was some stairs.

Lolly · 01-03-2007, 17:06

I'm going to have to go for a wander now!! I've never seen the whole building, so will now have to go and have a look otherwise it will annoy me as to what it looks like