It is hard to resist tears as one recounts the warmly colourful history of Wrexham's 'Opera House' on Henblas Street.
In around 1860 a Public Hall and Corn Exchange Company was formed and a hall was built. In 1909 this burnt down and rebuilding took place to the designs of Davies and Sons of Chester. A notice advertising the opening of the 'New Opera House' on the site of the old public hall appeared in the Wrexham Advertiser of July 1 1909.
In July 1913 a new company, The Wrexham Hippodrome Ltd, was registered with a capital of £2000 in £1 shares. The building became known as The Hippodrome Music Hall and continued with a mix of variety acts and repertory, by which time occasional film had been fitted into some shows. During or just after the First World War, Gracie Fields took the stage. Also at this period musical comedies such as 'The Chocolate Soldier' were staged here by local companies.
Many actors and variety artists who later became famous started their careers in small time revues at the Hippodrome, among them Leslie Henson, Harry Corris, Arthur Prince the ventiloquist and Nellie Wallace. The Walter Roberts Pantomime Company performed annually.
The stage was occupied regularly by travelling companies who lodged in the town for a week, sometimes returning year after year. The variety shows were accompanied by a line of chorus girls, a great attraction to the young bloods of Wrexham which was then, of course, a garrison town.
In a more serious vein, Frank Forbes Robertson was seen in Shakespearian roles and from time to time the Langley Howard Players gave a season of serious plays. In about 1925 Solomon the pianist gave a recital. On September 9 1929 the Hippodrome showed the first sound film or 'talkie' in Wrexham. It was the Gaumont Company's first talking picture: 'a gripping mystery thriller' entitled The Donovan Affair. Prices of admission were stalls 6d, circle 1/-, with no extra charge for bookings. The film The Singing Fool came later, with queues from Hope Street to Regent Street.
By 1930 the newspaper heading was 'The Hippodrome TALKIE House, Wrexham'. Once Wrexham's other cinemas, the Glynn, the Empire and the Majestic went talkie, the Hippodrome was advertising itself as 'The HOME of talking pictures'.
Cinemascope, an innovation in wide screen film making, was installed and the first film in this new ratio was The Black Shield of Falworth, starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, shown in March 1955.
In November 1959 Mr Ernest Birkhead, who had managed the Hippodrome for over 35 years, retired. This seemed to be the end of the Hippodrome, the last films being Pay the Devil, starring Jeff Chandler, Orson Welles and Colleen Miller; Star in the Dust and Fortyniners, a western with Wild Bill Elliott.
The Hippodrome's more recent history is better known. Barry Flanagan took over in 1961 and kept the Hippodrome going through a period when cinemas were in decline, until the final closure in 1998. 
UPDATE: The Hippodrome cinema building was demolished in April 2009. More...
Nick Roe is greatly indebted to 'Ninety Years of Wrexham Cinema' by Brian Hornesey and to the staff of the A. N. Palmer Centre for Local Studies and Archives, Wrexham
your comments
John Mainwaring, Mynydd Isa
Great memories of 'the flea pit' as we called it in the late 70s/early 80s. Who remembers the overhead projected adverts for 'HOT' dogs, with wrong emphasis on the word 'hot' spoken over the PA system. Saw Star Wars trilogy (all shown in one afternoon in 1982). Also went on Saturday mornings to watch Film Foundation stuff. Great place. I vividly remember sitting through Chariots of Fire sat next to someone with horrendous B.O. The Hippodrome also attracted rowdy kids throwing stuff off the balcony. Great stuff... or was it?
Fri Jun 12 10:00:16 2009
Joyce Hartley, Brussels, Belgium
I was visiting my family, who still live in the Wrexham area, last week and I was upset to see the Hippodrome building had been demolished. What a shame it couldn't have been saved. I remember going with my school (Brynteg, also now demolished) to see A Christmas Carol and Little Women and remembering how exciting it was. When I was 16 I have very fond memories of sitting upstairs in the 'double seats' with my boyfriend and not watching the films. Ah happy days.
Mon Apr 20 10:35:46 2009
John Jones from Gloucester
So the Hippodrome has become just a memory. It will never be forgotten by my wife Pat and I who did some of our courting there in the early fifties. Whilst at school and afterwards I used to work in Caldwells Shop across the road from the Hippodrome, spending most of my days charging accumulaters in the cellar there to enable customers to enjoy their wireless (no televisions in Wrexham then).Happy days, wonderful memories.
Tue Apr 14 09:27:52 2009
Megan, Wrexham
It's a shame the Hipppodrome was not used for community use, that someone did not have the initiative to turn it into a film club or venue for live music for budding musicians. My friend June and I spent many happy hours at the old cinema.
Tue Jan 6 07:59:06 2009
Gareth Owen, London
I pretty much grew up at the Hippodrome with the Saturday Kids screenings, often saying it was birthday to go up on stage and get a free ticket for the next week. I last went in the early '90s, and it badly needed a refurb, but Barry stood there as always - turning the film off if it got rowdy and saying "I'll throw you bloody kids out". Nowadays the Odeon staff barely crack a smile - the characters in Wrexham cinema, much like the cinema itself, have sadly gone!
Tue Jun 24 09:06:31 2008
Nicola Burns
It's gone, another part of Wrexham history, the council has killed. Things move on though. Who knows, in 100 years' time future generations may be saying 'save Island Green from demoltion'. I doubt it, it would have rusted away by then not built like the old buildings we used to have. But the memories I have when the schools used to go there at Christmas, before it was seperated into screen one and two. If you were unfortunate enough to find yourself sat under the balcony all the schools above would throw sweets at you. Barry used to go nuts! Oh, the glory days!
Mon Jun 23 08:23:25 2008
Donna, Wrexham
My mum and dad worked in the Hippodrome for years. I spent a lot of my childhood in there. Sadly, the former owner, Barry Flanagan, passed away last week and the Hippodrome was on fire on Monday - it is very sad.
Wed Jun 18 08:16:56 2008
Mark David from Wrexham
Well it looks like the Hippodrome has had it, it spent many months with the front off this year, with all the power tools in creation going on in the background. All seems to be quiet again now, but from what I've heard, it's been stripped completely.
I was only 9 when the Hippodrome snuffed it, but I remember it closing then re-opening briefly just before the Odeon came around... I think perhaps it could have survived the competition if it stuck out a bit longer, due to its central location and extravagant, yet different aura that modern cinemas simply don't have. We went with school (I think it may have been Christmas) after it re-opened (and went to see Hercules I think!), but it closed very shortly after that. It was a lovely building (although it was desperately needing a refurbishment) and I'd spent a fair amount of time in it, but all is simply a childhood memory now. A truly iconic building covered in history, and will live on in the memories of many.
Mon Oct 22 08:23:38 2007
Vicky Maitland, Ewloe, Flintshire
I think it's an absolute travesty that the Hippodrome is going to be destroyed, I hate to sound negative but I don't think Wrexham has very much any more. It isn't a great place to go shopping, the Odeon cinema is fairly boring and to me it's ludicrous to get rid of a building with such rich cultural history. Is it really too late to save the Hippodrome? Because with online groups such as Facebook I really believe many more signatures will be possible to get for a petition! According to a friend of mine, the Hippodrome still stands ready for demolition which means there is still time! What do people think? Is it really too late? Thanks, Vicky.
Thu Oct 11 09:12:40 2007
Janet Gray
I remember dancing on the stage in the late sixties as part of a show organised by Kathy Dougall's school of dance. We performed several numbers including the Lambert Waltz, and we also dressed as characters from nursery rhymes. I was told off from the wings for walking on the tail of one of the three blind mice!
Fri Jun 1 08:14:31 2007
Jim Smith from Llandudno
What a good idea!
Thu Dec 14 15:30:50 2006
eddie ewart jonesfrom colwyn bay
me dad and mam used to take me and me sister to the hippodrome twice a week between 1947 and 1950.we never checked what films were on but invariably enjoyed every one.also you knew you would not see anything offensive.they used to play great numbers from the hit parade before the show began.i recall hoagy carmichaels butter milk sky,and phil harris's darktown poker club.i never heard any allusions to laughing and scratching; that was reserved for the empire in lambpit street.had a lot of fun there toon saturday mornings with three stooges,flash gordon,and the bowery boys.
Sun Feb 12 20:28:01 2006
Elaine Roberts, Wrexham
My auntie used to play the piano to the silent movies here years ago!
Thu Nov 3 17:05:28 2005
Pearl from Jersey
I remember the Hippodrome, the locals used to say "you go in with a blouse and come out with a jumper", it was known locally as the flea-pit. Run by a chap called Barry Flanagan, anyone else remember?
Thu Oct 13 15:13:13 2005
Jim Henderson Ewloe,Deeside.
It is very sad to hear of a cinema closing.
We once had four cinemas in the Deeside area of Queensferry (Plaza), Shotton, (Alhambra and Ritz) and Connah's Quay (Hippodrome), which were very important to us as youngsters with the Saturday matinee to look forward to. Now there are none and we have to travel miles for one.
Thu Sep 1 12:11:59 2005
Joy Edwards, originally Wrecsam, now Wolverhampton
It is such a shame to see the Hippodrome in such a state. It was a lovely building inside. I saw "Jaws" there. I was only just old enough to see the film and sitting in the stalls I had a close up view of the gory moments in all their glory! I agree with Abe, the Hippodrome would make a great Arts Centre for the Centre of Wrecsam as opposed to Theatr Clwyd far outside the town. I do hope someone will decide to save this lovely building.
Thu Feb 24 14:57:25 2005
Mathew, Chester
I am very upset to see the Hippodrome in the condition it is now in. I spent the best Saturdays of my childhood there growing up in the seventies and eighties. It was the time of the event movie in its childhood such films as Star Wars, E.T., Close Encounters etc. Of course these films would run for weeks so you would see them a few times. I also remember the Saturday kids' club where we were treated to the children's film foundations series that were made in the early seventies. I owe my love of film and classic movies to that cinema. May something great happen to the Hippodrome.
Tue Feb 1 14:40:03 2005
Martin, Llandudno
I can't believe how much of Wrexham they have destroyed - it's such a shame. It was a great place. Now it looks cheap rather than grand.
Fri Jan 21 22:25:03 2005
Abe, Wrexham
Why don't Wrexham Council pull their finger out and renovate the Hippodrome into a Wrexham arts & theatre centre. Look at the money spent on white elephants like Theatr Clwyd perched up a mountain in glorious isolation. The old Hippodrome is in a perfect place to benefit the whole community. Use it or it will certainly go the way the unique indoor markets did.
Thu Nov 18 15:09:00 2004
Annette Edwards from Summerhill
I remember the midnight horror movies that ran for a time at the Hippie. It was so full of cigarette smoke you could hardly see the screen. It was a long walk home to Summerhill for me and my pal! Also, there were pop concerts in the late 60s, The Tornados and Johnny Kidd and the Pirates were a couple I remember seeing along with the local bands - some good. Then there was a club that opened above the cinema, I'm sure it was called the Roxy. Fond memories of a time when it was safe to go to town on a Saturday night.
Thu Sep 23 17:06:19 2004
Darryl, Wrexham
With regards to when the Hippodrome closed it was 1997, briefly re-opening in 1998 before finally closing for good a few months later. My mum worked there from 1975 onwards so I remember it well.
Tue Jul 20 10:23:25 2004
John Humberstone
We recently collected 780 signatures for our SAVE THE HIPPODROME campaign and we intend to be back on the streets this Saturday for more. But we are heartened by the great support we get on the street and the fantastic stories we get from people who still have strong and happy memories about their visits to the Hippodrome.
Mon Jul 12 15:16:08 2004
Kate, Bangor
I've got very fond memories of the Hippodrome (last film seen: Lady and The Tramp matinee about 10 years ago...my sister and I were the only ones in the cinema) and have long wished I had the capital to buy it and revamp it. I've watched sadly as it has slowly fallen further into disrepair. It would be lovely to restore it to the style of its heyday, with ice cream sellers, red velvet drapes, vintage posters and adverts, etc. It would be lovely to restore the feeling of an evening out at the pictures, rather than the big-bucks big-crowds in-and-out approach as seen across the town at the new cinema. A programme of old movies and new classics would be a wonderful start. If anyone fancies donating the odd million to the cause, I'll gladly take on the job!
Wed Jul 7 09:58:44 2004
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