St Albans Fire Service & our cinema

long e mail from J.H explaining last weekend's events stopped by our Fire Service. As this pic from 1927 (thanks to S.A. museum site) shows they know what it's like when there's trouble at the cinema.

At some point in the late 90's there was an attempt to burn the cinema down & as some Lower Paxton Rd residents might remember the Fire brigade had to park their appliances in London Rd and run the hoses down the steps to fight the blaze. So the Fire Service has bad memories of this site. Anyway only an idiot wouldn't co-operate with them so we'll all have to wait a bit longer......

All events this weekend cancelled

e mail this a.m. saying both Grease & open day on Sunday cancelled. No explanation. Wd be nice to know why even tho' I couldn't have gone. No doubt reason will be revealed. Annoying for people who'd planned their weekend round it all......

St Albans cinema limbers up -

Yes, the moment has arrived....a showing of Grease on Sat 10 Sept at 7 30pm...take blankets, your own supply of chocolate & wear warm socks etc...for those of you who haven't had an e mail from Mr H the number to ring to book is 01442 877759. Numbers limited to 300.

And the building will also be open 12.30 - 2.30 on Sunday the 11th....just to admire progress.

St Albans Odyssey open day

Some pictures of today's Open Day. I went late...but it seemed just as crowded as these days have been before, despite the cold rainy weather.

Much more sense of a new cinema emerging...the model is encouraging...and the drawings show just how much work has been done to clear the space.

A feature film is being made of the whole restoration. A pity they weren't there eight years ago to film the Public Enquiry when it was survival or the bulldozers for the whole building. I know who was there to speak up for it...but then I have the memory of a particularly bitter elephant....

Odyssey signed up

If you half shut your eyes and have a good imagination it's just about possible to get a sense of how the cinema will look when once again it has its name up in big letters....this banner is the first bit of glamorous signage the poor old wreck has had the chance to show off in years so it's worth appreciating.

Hope there's a milling crowd of thousands tomorrow for the chance to see the extent of the restoration.

(This week I am moving out of the area. If I get the chance to call back and take pictures will try to do so but it's good bye Lower Paxton Rd and goodbye to the cinema as my neighbour. )

St Albans Odyssey; work gathers pace

Some pictures here of the team van, a new pile of rubbish outside, signs of early morning coffee.

The shots from the doors give some idea of the efforts taking place inside..think it's possible to see there's now much more space. And a pic of the staff rest deck ...they're too busy to be there of course...

Odeon/Odyssey open day 12 June 2011

Pix here of the offical publicity for Open Day for all those who do not have chance to mooch round building as often as I do. Note all the usual warnings which just make me want to totter round it in a silly red carpet dress & Betty Grable style six inch high ankle strap wedges. But I won't.

Also a photo of the music posters now deconstructed & adding a note of urban artiness to the frontage. And round the back a lovely self seeded wild poppy (these have just appeared for the first time ever in the pavement cracks of Lower Paxton Rd); also some hieroglyphs from the rear wall of the building which prob. mean something vital to Mick and Lads in terms of where things will go....

Odeon/Odyssey new phase of works begins

Lots going on on Friday....men in masks/diggers/lorries. Mick says they are at wall pulling down stage & interior will all look v diff by next open day (?12 June ..will confirm) Will also try to get pix of activity next week. Tres exhilarating to see so much happening.

Odeon votes for Green candidate

see Herts Ad

...well, I'm sure it would if it cd have got into Marlborough Rd Methodist Hall to cast its X....

anyway 700+people in the Odeon's home ward did. And I bet most of them were also proactive in saving the Odeon. There's clearly a connection...restoration, community, best use of local resources...Yes, where St Peter's leads others, Clarence, Verulam,
Marshalswick etc will follow. We hope.

St Albans Odeon backs street party

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......all us residents, monarchists, republicans and those who couldn't give a hoot but were interested in the dress, had a street party behind the cinema last Friday. It was an amazingly lovely event, leaving lots of happy memories and a more decorative pavement..see pix above.

Much talk of our cinema of course...which provided a stylishly period back wall to the goings- on. Maybe we should have asked along Mr H, sat him down in the April sunshine, plied him with prosecco and Union Jack cupcakes, and asked him what's going on with the Odeon/Odyssey. Would be nice to know esp. as we live with it so to speak.


(apologies for long silence: sad bereavements explain it...as well as lack of any recent material progress on cinema to report...)