Issue 115 – February 2016
STAIRS AND ELEPHANTS By Stephen Guy IT started as a track linking West Derby to the fledgling port of Liverpool, passing through sparsely-populated countryside. The land was wooded and damp with occasional sandstone outcrops - for centuries the way could only be negotiated on foot or by riding a horse. Grade II-listed Tuebrook House, built in 1615, was probably the first brick-built house on West Derby Road. Where the track reached a stony slope it became known as Rocky Lane before resuming its way. The growth of Liverpool saw the population mushroom along West Derby Road. Many properties were built in Victorian times, from comfortable villas in Newsham Park to rows of terraced houses. This influx of families saw a need to cater for relaxation and entertainment. Open spaces such as Newsham and Sheil Parks served families while pubs sprang up on many street corners. The years around the First World War saw the arrival of mass cinema
entertainment with stars such as Charlie Chaplin becoming global idols. Three of Liverpool’s early cinemas opened on West Derby Road: the Palladium in 1913, Savoy the following year and Empress in 1915. Originally a theatre, the Royal Hippodrome switched to films in 1931. The Carlton, an art deco super cinema, followed in 1932. These venues closed years ago. The Empress and Palladium were demolished to widen West Derby Road and the Hippodrome, with its magnificent auditorium, cleared to make way for a timber yard. The Savoy survives, much altered, and the Carlton – stripped of some of its art deco features – awaits demolition. The Olympia (pictured in 1909) is the one great survivor still packing them in with popular shows and events. Designed by legendary theatre
architect Frank Matcham, it opened in 1905 as a variety theatre and indoor circus. Elephants, lions and other exotic beats entranced audiences. The building’s design reflected far-away places with Indian panelling and the onion dome which was a local landmark for many years. The Olympia became a cinema and hosted Liverpool’s first sound feature film screening, The Singing Fool starring Al Jolson, in 1929. The Olympia later became the Locarno Ballroom where The Beatles and many other Merseybeat groups appeared. It was a bingo hall for some years and, after restoration and refurbishment, returned to live entertainment. Join the West Derby Society at its next meeting 7.30 pm on Wednesday 17 February at Lowlands, 13 Haymans Green, Liverpool L12 7JG.
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