10 Mile End Road, The Venue

The corner plot on Mile End Road and Ocean Road served as a Victorian residence at one time. It featured an impressive portico and railed garden, which were lost alongside a number of other Victorian gardens when Ocean Road was widened. The site was taken up in the 1890s by Farquhar Laing, a Corbridge man, and 10 Mile End Road was opened as The Royal Hotel (now The Ship and Royal). In 1891 Laing went on to build a function room on wasteground to the rear (Stanhope Street). Designed by architect J H Morton, it was connected to the Hotel by passages and became known as the Royal Assembly Hall, a sumptuous centre of Victorian and Edwardian society. Built in the Italian Renaissance style, it incorporated a ballroom and stage for an orchestra, which was adapted for use by touring vaudeville and circus shows. There were two entrances, one on Ocean Road and the other on Mile End Road. They both led to the auditorium at the rear and were connected to it via small bridges over a narrow alley. In 1920 the building was purchased by Messrs Black and was adapted at great expense for use as a cinema, incorporating many of the original architectural features such as the grand staircase. It was opened as the Scala Cinema in 1922. The entrance in Ocean Road had a most imposing facade above the entrance hall, which contained an entrance lounge and cafe. There were two further cafes on the second floor, access to which was by the grand staircase. This also gave access to the bridge to the other side of the alley where the Scala Cinema was situated. The cinema was re-named Gaumont in 1951. The entrance from Ocean Road was closed in 1960 and turned into a furniture store, Granthams. This was taken over later by Leveys, which is now closed. The Gaumont was disposed of to the Brent Walker chain of cinemas in 1975 and re-named the Focus Cinema. It was eventually taken over by an independent and re-named Regal Cinema. The building was converted into a 3-screen cinema in 1980, providing seating capacities for 329, 74 and 74. This was a short-lived venture as the Regal Cinema closed on 26th June 1982. The building became a bingo club and amusement centre in 1984 and has since been converted into a nightclub, going through several owners and name changes; The Venue, Masons, Coyote Wild and Vibe. The building remains largely vacant, apart from weekend use as a bar. The building had fallen into serious disrepair due to years of neglect and the current owners had to replace the roof, the condition of which had led to water ingress and rotting timbers. Much of the façade of the building was re-pointed. LOCAL LIST