Abbeydale Picture House has been shrouded in mystery since it closed to the public in the 1970’s, but finally it’s ready to reveal all as the friends of the Picture House are working to bring it back to life…

History, blitz andglamour…

Built in the 1920’s, Abbeydale Picture House was the pinnacle of Sheffield high society. It was designed as a cinema, theatre and ballroom, as many picture houses were in those days. With enough seating for 1,500, it was the biggest and most lavish cinema in Sheffield during its era. The cinema, still relatively new, was seen as a special treat for post World War 1 Sheffield.

Adele Beckett, publicist for the Picture House told me it “Brought a touch of glamour to the city…it was a landmark building and much of the original plasterwork remains”. A trip to the cinema would have been an occasion to dress in your best. Tailored suits and long dresses would have swept the floor as their owners took their seats. Having practiced in the building as part of my youth drama group, it’s not hard to picture proud husbands with elegant gloved ladies on their arms. Be it the cinema, the theatre or a dance, Sheffielders loved to spend an evening at the Abbeydale.

When the Second World War took hold, Sheffield was badly bombed. Abbeydale Picture House, like many buildings with cellars, became a shelter for those escaping the blitz. One woman remembers spending a night there on the huge underground ballroom floor, “By the end of the night the floor was packed as we lay like sardines.” Adele explained how many visitors remember spending a night unharmed in the Picture House, but as they left they saw their city in flames. Destruction surrounded them but the Picture House stood unscathed and saved many lives.

The end of an era…

Though the cinema began as a showroom for silent movies and city variety shows, the ‘Talkies’ soon took over. Films with synchronised talking and sound became all the rage. In the late 20’s and 30’s the world went cinema mad and the reputation of the Abbeydale rocketed. Unfortunately as television audiences grew in the

50s Abbeydale’s popularity rapidly diminished. After fifty five years of entertaining Sheffield, the Picture House closed, sadly becoming a furniture showroom until it shut entirely in the 70’s.

All was not lost. Due to its architectural and historical importance, the building was awarded a Grade 2 listing by English Heritage in 1989, meaning it couldn’t be knocked down or modified without permission. The downstairs of the building was still used as a bar and the once ballroom had become a snooker hall. It has only been in the last few years since the Friends of Abbeydale Picture House was formed that a range of creative and inspiring people have swept through the building bringing life in the form of theatre groups, shows and exhibitions.

Ghostly goings on…

It seems inevitable to hear of old cultural buildings that are said to be haunted by some form of supernatural being. As a member of Abbeydale’s Youth Theatre I have often heard rumours circulating of mysterious goings on in the building. I mostly dismissed the claims as stories and nothing more but after researching I found that perhaps there was more to them. A team of paranormal investigators spent an evening trying to decipher what secrets the building had kept hidden. They claimed to find a number of spirits in the building. Adele told me a small boy called Lionel is said to haunt the balcony area and there is a woman named Esther who is said to follow visitors round on tours. Adele told me she believes there to be no bad vibes in the building though, fortunately!

From picture house to art house…

Today the building retains much of its old décor and original features. The walls are carved with the somewhat eerie faces of cherubs and the stain glass dome, used to extract and circulate air, is still present. Though the building is clearly showing signs of age it’s not hard to imagine the grandeur of what it once was. From the outside, Abbeydale still looks derelict and unloved, but inside it now has a new lease of life. The friends of the Picture House have plans to revamp the building, but the original features will remain. The house will become much safer for its occupants and public use.

Adele told me “We’re looking to make it into a multi purpose art centre for the people of Sheffield, so there will be theatre and lots of other arts and facilities. We want to really focus on young people as they are the future of the city and of the Picture House”. Our ever-growing youth theatre is proof of this working towards its sixth production. The wind in the willows is hoped to continue a string of success which includes The Wiz, West Side Story, and Les Miserables.

Other uses of the theatre so far have included art exhibitions and even trapeze cabaret! The Picture House’s popular underground bar and snooker club are also livening up the building and regular performances by theatre groups are going down a storm. Let’s just hope the ghosts don’t mind.

By Miriam Barclay

Photographs by Guy J Brown
For more images:
www.guyjbrown.com







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