Hippodrome & Grand Theatre

Opened in 1890 as the Grand Theatre. Accommodation was private boxes, orchestra stalls, second circle and upper circle. No other details of decoration or design found. The Grand was devoted to variety until the early 1920s when films were introduced, sometimes as part of the bill, and sometimes on alternate evenings. Leased by the H D Moorhouse circuit, it became a full-time cinema until 1954, when it closed mid-performance as it was discovered that the lease had expired!

After lying empty for a few years, the auditorium and stage were demolished to form a car park and public lavatories. The façade is left, flanked with shops, as when it first opened, now in use as offices and shops. The letters HDMC, visible over the front door, are a reminder of the Harry D Moorhouse Circuit days.