Coventry Hippodrome / Apollo / Theatre

Yes, like you Kaga, I saw Old Mother Riley there too!

The last time I went to the Hippodrome was in 1969 to see Gone With The Wind, 29 years after its first fatal showing in Coventry.

Old Hippodrome

The Transport Museum have just shared this one on FB - a surprisingly rare capture of the original Museum side entrance. IIRC, once you'd walked into that outside door, you went through a small wood panelled reception room before going into the main cars area. I know this has been seen before but - (c) Cov Telegraph - this was the same view looking the other way when that side entrance was used as the main stage door for the theatre. The Stones in '71. Note The Smithfield across the road.

Interesting shot of clearance in the Hales Street area ready for the building of the 'new' Hippodrome.

Bill Pethers, conductor of the orchestra. He lived on Holyhead Road, houses on the left just before Tollgate pub.

The "hippodrome" was an ancient Greek stadium for horse racing and chariot racing. The name is derived from the Greek words hippos and dromos. The term is used in the modern French language and some others, with the meaning of "horse racecourse" - Wikipedia. Don't ever recall seeing any horses or chariots there. But did see some Troggs in the 60's.

Mick, you should have gone to the Coventry Theatre, as it was known in 1970, because from July 5th to August 1st that year "Ben Hur" was being shown on a 70mm wide-screen with full stereophonic sound. How many horses and chariots do you want?

Hi belushi, 70mm only equates to 2.7559 inches, so not that wide a screen? Doubt if anyone saw anything.

That would be about right for the mobile phone screens of the day? BTW, I watched Ben Hur in a Prague cinema in 1967, dubbed into French and with Czech subtitles - I got the gist of it! Just!

Hi Mick - yes it appears to be a very small screen, but the info was copied and pasted from here.