Ballroom Blitz

Bunkers, shelters and other buildings
User avatar
Steve Jones
Posts: 1516
Joined: Fri 18 Jan, 2008 2:41 pm
Location: Wakefield

Post by Steve Jones »

Apologies if this has already been covered but I couldn't get the search engine to work with my office browser.Whilst in the Adelphi yesterday I got chatting to a guy called Brian who is a photographer interested in old buildings.He overheard me talking about SL ,and asked if I knew about the old ballroom above Miss Selfridges in Leeds formerly the La Scala cinema.Apparently he had been trying to get permission from the site owners to go in and take shots of it ,as it is still in the condition it was left in after it closed (i think he said the 1960's-1970's). The firm have told him it is still there but he hasn't been able to get access ,bizarrely he told me the freehold belongs to Nottingham Council after formerly belonging to a miners union (I suspect the Democratic Union rather than the NUM).Anybody been up to see this, or know more about it?
Steve JonesI don't know everything, I just like to give that impression!

Linky Oik
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat 12 Mar, 2011 12:49 pm

Post by Linky Oik »

Steve Jones wrote: ...and asked if I knew about the old ballroom above Miss Selfridges in Leeds formerly the La Scala cinema. Is this the place you mean?http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/33584Here's a nice external pic from Leodis:http://goo.gl/3RSXYZThe following page might be of interest - open the page and scroll down to see pictures of the cinema auditorium and tea room. Might the tea room have become the ballroom?http://goo.gl/ux7Xzg

j.c.d.
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon 27 Jan, 2014 4:54 pm

Post by j.c.d. »

Steve Jones wrote: Apologies if this has already been covered but I couldn't get the search engine to work with my office browser.Whilst in the Adelphi yesterday I got chatting to a guy called Brian who is a photographer interested in old buildings.He overheard me talking about SL ,and asked if I knew about the old ballroom above Miss Selfridges in Leeds formerly the La Scala cinema.Apparently he had been trying to get permission from the site owners to go in and take shots of it ,as it is still in the condition it was left in after it closed (i think he said the 1960's-1970's). The firm have told him it is still there but he hasn't been able to get access ,bizarrely he told me the freehold belongs to Nottingham Council after formerly belonging to a miners union (I suspect the Democratic Union rather than the NUM).Anybody been up to see this, or know more about it? I am sure there has been something on here in the past about the Scala (No La) I went into John Peters in the 70s which it had become and the piece of furniture I wanted the salesman told me was on the top floor. he put me in the lift and when I got out on the top floor though it was full of furniture I immediately recognised the place, the stage was still there, the bar with the shutter still up (only soft drinks were sold) and even the silver ball in the ceiling. I had been a regular there on a Saturday night some 20 years only. In the 50s it was 5/- to get in and if you had not got a ticket by 2 pm that day at the cinema entrance they were sold out. Don't know if the lift is still there but it was not in use on a Sat. night so as not to disturb the cinema goers on the floor below.     Many many happy memories of the Scala.P.S.I spent eight years living in L' Scala on the Catalunian coast in Northern Spain but I would have swopped it all for some Saturday nights upstairs in the Scala

User avatar
Steve Jones
Posts: 1516
Joined: Fri 18 Jan, 2008 2:41 pm
Location: Wakefield

Post by Steve Jones »

Linky Oik wrote: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/33584 That appears to be the place,thanks It sounded an interesting place from what he was telling me.
Steve JonesI don't know everything, I just like to give that impression!

j.c.d.
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon 27 Jan, 2014 4:54 pm

Post by j.c.d. »

Steve Jones wrote: Apologies if this has already been covered but I couldn't get the search engine to work with my office browser.Whilst in the Adelphi yesterday I got chatting to a guy called Brian who is a photographer interested in old buildings.He overheard me talking about SL ,and asked if I knew about the old ballroom above Miss Selfridges in Leeds formerly the La Scala cinema.Apparently he had been trying to get permission from the site owners to go in and take shots of it ,as it is still in the condition it was left in after it closed (i think he said the 1960's-1970's). The firm have told him it is still there but he hasn't been able to get access ,bizarrely he told me the freehold belongs to Nottingham Council after formerly belonging to a miners union (I suspect the Democratic Union rather than the NUM).Anybody been up to see this, or know more about it? It had a most beautiful staircase and a very lovely old fashioned lift, wonder if they are still there, maybe you can find out. Regards.

BLAKEY
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon 24 Mar, 2008 4:42 am

Post by BLAKEY »

Saturday afternoons at the Scala ballroom were wonderful - 2/6d with great band and that revolving glitter globe. The ballroom had a "sprung" floor which was most effective.    There must have been some link up, I'm not sure what, betwen the Scala and Majestic cinemas because all over the City were little display cases about forthcoming films - the glass cases were labelled "Majestic and Scala." I know I'm traditional and old fashioned but I loved Leeds in those days - character everywhere !!    
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

j.c.d.
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon 27 Jan, 2014 4:54 pm

Post by j.c.d. »

Don't recall there being Sat, afternoon dances at the Scala but the dance at the same time at the Magic Stick (as we referred to it) was very popular. there were many romances blossoming down there and quite a few were illicit to the extent that the United home games had the goals and incidents flashed up on a screen, I assume they came in very handy for an alibi.

j.c.d.
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon 27 Jan, 2014 4:54 pm

Post by j.c.d. »

BLAKEY wrote: Saturday afternoons at the Scala ballroom were wonderul - 2/6d with great band and that revolving glitter globe. The ballroom had a "sprung" floor which was most effective.    There must have been some link up, I'm not sure what, betwen the Scala and Majestic cinemas because all over the City were little display cases about forthcoming films - the glass cases were labelled "Majestic and Scala." I know I'm traditional and old fashioned but I loved Leeds in those days - character everywhere !! Can't recall the name of the Band there but you are right they were very good, I remember when the tune came out "Skin Deep" which featured a long drum solo and we would group around the Bandstand to watch the drummer knock seven bells out of his kit.

User avatar
buffaloskinner
Posts: 1435
Joined: Sun 01 Apr, 2007 6:02 pm
Location: Nova Scotia

Post by buffaloskinner »

Scala 1957
Attachments
Scala 1957.JPG
Scala 1957.JPG (0 Bytes) Viewed 4516 times
Is this the end of the story ...or the beginning of a legend?

BLAKEY
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon 24 Mar, 2008 4:42 am

Post by BLAKEY »

buffaloskinner wrote: Scala 1957 Thanks for that grand picture buffaloskinner - if only we could turn the clock back to those more straightfoward times - well they were for me, but of course naturally everyone has their own viewpoint about "then and now."     
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

Post Reply