Second site in the books and here it is... Just a side note, I currently only have a 50mm lens so I couldn't match some of the impressive shots already take of this place.
I went on my last trip alone but I thought it would be best to go with someone else this time. Probably someone I could outrun too haha I went with an old mate as it was his neck of the woods anyway.
Another site you'll find a bunch of reports on this site for, Victoria Theatre was opened in 1900 and was last used as a Bingo Hall. It's also been used as a Cinema Well technically, it was home to someones weed farm but I couldnt tell you dates on that one, looked a few years old though haha. This site recently sold in 2018 and could potentially be in line to be knocked down, there's been on going fights to get it refurbished and what not but I think it's going to cost more to do that then it's worth. It's currently home to lots of pigeons and we even got to see baby pigeons for the first time which was weird... They look like chicks sort of.
Anyway, getting into the site is like any entry level adventure game. Jump over this, through that and you're in. Once in you're essentially underground amongst the rooms where you'll find boilers, structure for the stage and store rooms for maintenance type things. I'd personally upgraded my gear from "Torch" to "head lamp and torch" which was actually really handy because there's quite a few ways to look on that basement level. To get up there's a set of stone stairs that run up a few levels but I took the first exit and you come out into the stage area so you get a great view of the seating, bars etc. It's in a bit of a state as you can see but the majority of flooring still felt pretty solid. There's a lot of graffiti and remains of peoples anger management sessions, usually glass and TV's. But the TV's that hadn't been touched show they we're used to display a logo and still had the image burnt into the screen.
From the main hall there were a number of bars on that same level and what I'm assuming was a bit of a kitchen at he back of the stage and then on the complete opposite side was the hall ways to get through to what would have been the entrance with the reception. You walk past the office which has the safe in it and the toilets. Beyond that it get's to where the staff would have been. Going through the reception you get into where the cellar is with all the crates (I've not seen a britvic 55 bottle in years!) and a few old books. One was dated 1998/9. You then head up and up and up going from the room with a bunch of iron seat sides in and the large triangular shaped bingo boards to what I can only assume would have been more staff rooms with fire places and the little white TV which wasn't smashed to bits thankfully. These rooms are at the front of the building where there are still glass windows so torches low if you're going to go and don't want passers by to see.
Then there are the balconies and the private little things I can never remember the name of. One of them things you always see in films where the bad guys are. I guess it's like a Theatre Box? Where the white ladies sit on either side in the photos. They're probably the only things I wasn't feeling confident on structure wise but they haven't fallen through yet haha
At the rear of the building there are even more rooms where someone had their weed farm and it must have been a right job getting all the kit in, there was a fair bit, but there might have been an easier entrance when they did that. A lot of these rooms don't have anything in, theres a smashed toilet and that was about it.
Even though this is great building to explore, I found it was the detail in things left, like the prices and signs. It has a real 90's feel to. Maybe not the carpet, but who puts new carpet in an old bingo hall.
I think I've covered everything anyway, I'm sure someone will point out if I've missed something anyways. I had about 65/70 photos but it's got a max of 30 too.
Cheers
#SilverQuickies
I went on my last trip alone but I thought it would be best to go with someone else this time. Probably someone I could outrun too haha I went with an old mate as it was his neck of the woods anyway.
Another site you'll find a bunch of reports on this site for, Victoria Theatre was opened in 1900 and was last used as a Bingo Hall. It's also been used as a Cinema Well technically, it was home to someones weed farm but I couldnt tell you dates on that one, looked a few years old though haha. This site recently sold in 2018 and could potentially be in line to be knocked down, there's been on going fights to get it refurbished and what not but I think it's going to cost more to do that then it's worth. It's currently home to lots of pigeons and we even got to see baby pigeons for the first time which was weird... They look like chicks sort of.
Anyway, getting into the site is like any entry level adventure game. Jump over this, through that and you're in. Once in you're essentially underground amongst the rooms where you'll find boilers, structure for the stage and store rooms for maintenance type things. I'd personally upgraded my gear from "Torch" to "head lamp and torch" which was actually really handy because there's quite a few ways to look on that basement level. To get up there's a set of stone stairs that run up a few levels but I took the first exit and you come out into the stage area so you get a great view of the seating, bars etc. It's in a bit of a state as you can see but the majority of flooring still felt pretty solid. There's a lot of graffiti and remains of peoples anger management sessions, usually glass and TV's. But the TV's that hadn't been touched show they we're used to display a logo and still had the image burnt into the screen.
From the main hall there were a number of bars on that same level and what I'm assuming was a bit of a kitchen at he back of the stage and then on the complete opposite side was the hall ways to get through to what would have been the entrance with the reception. You walk past the office which has the safe in it and the toilets. Beyond that it get's to where the staff would have been. Going through the reception you get into where the cellar is with all the crates (I've not seen a britvic 55 bottle in years!) and a few old books. One was dated 1998/9. You then head up and up and up going from the room with a bunch of iron seat sides in and the large triangular shaped bingo boards to what I can only assume would have been more staff rooms with fire places and the little white TV which wasn't smashed to bits thankfully. These rooms are at the front of the building where there are still glass windows so torches low if you're going to go and don't want passers by to see.
Then there are the balconies and the private little things I can never remember the name of. One of them things you always see in films where the bad guys are. I guess it's like a Theatre Box? Where the white ladies sit on either side in the photos. They're probably the only things I wasn't feeling confident on structure wise but they haven't fallen through yet haha
At the rear of the building there are even more rooms where someone had their weed farm and it must have been a right job getting all the kit in, there was a fair bit, but there might have been an easier entrance when they did that. A lot of these rooms don't have anything in, theres a smashed toilet and that was about it.
Even though this is great building to explore, I found it was the detail in things left, like the prices and signs. It has a real 90's feel to. Maybe not the carpet, but who puts new carpet in an old bingo hall.
I think I've covered everything anyway, I'm sure someone will point out if I've missed something anyways. I had about 65/70 photos but it's got a max of 30 too.
Cheers
#SilverQuickies
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