my mum,87 on sunday,said today she won a dance competition at the hippo doing the charlstone, i asked her where the hippo was,and she didnt know, i do remember going ,but cant think where it was,i know it was in town somewhere ,either fargate or diviision st.

According to Bryen Hillerby's book "The Lost Theatres of Sheffield", The Hippodrome was in Cambridge St. It opened in 1907, became a cinema in 1931 and closed in 1962.

Hugh

The Hippodrome was down at the bottom of the Rd, that runs down the side of Coles. I cannot remember dancing there but remember queuing to get into the pictures, we queued down a sort of alley way. Great place for meeting evrybody that you knew and some that you didn't.
Hazel

I used to go to the Hippodrome quite a lot last film I saw was 'The Circus of Horrors'.

It used to have a sliding roof which could be pulled back to let fresh air in - vital in those days when just about everyone smoked!

my mum,87 on sunday,said today she won a dance competition at the hippo doing the charlstone, i asked her where the hippo was,and she didnt know, i do remember going ,but cant think where it was,i know it was in town somewhere ,either fargate or diviision st.

The Hippodrome was on Cambridge Street, went there myself on many occassions.

I went to the Hippodrome lots of times in the GODS that they had there.I believe the last film they had there was "Gone With The Wind".

Couldn't afford to see Tommy Steele so saw his brother Colin Hicks there.

IMO the hippodrome should have had the same treatment as the Lyceum the gods had to be sat in to see the full splendour of the place. One piece of Sheffields heritage that should have stayed put. just for steved
colin hicks never appeared there it was the Empire on the same bill as marty wilde and joe brown

Saw a few films there, most memorable being Jailhouse Rock about 1958.

Yes,I went up in the Gods at the Hippo,simply because they were the cheapest seats,and you were certainly up in the stratasphere. Another popular cinema in by-gone days was the Central, situated on the Moor. Remember in 1939 when "Gone with the wind" came to town. There were queues all round the block all the time it was showing. Mind you,there was no TV in those days of course.

The Hippodrome was unique as it had a sliding roof which could be opened during hot summer evenings (after dark of course).

i can remember going to the hippodrme when i was a little girl it was on cambridge .i went with my mum to see tommy steel in tommy the toridor

IMO the hippodrome should have had the same treatment as the Lyceum the gods had to be sat in to see the full splendour of the place. One piece of Sheffields heritage that should have stayed put. just for steved
colin hicks never appeared there it was the Empire on the same bill as marty wilde and joe brown
You're right ricky36, I've just spoken to my older brother who took me and he confirmed that it was the Empire.He in fact got Marty Wilde's autograph that night. Neither of us can remember the year. Can you? Please let me know if you can.

You're right ricky36, I've just spoken to my older brother who took me and he confirmed that it was the Empire.He in fact got Marty Wilde's autograph that night. Neither of us can remember the year. Can you? Please let me know if you can.

the year was to the best of my knowledge 1958 but ???????? you get what I mean

I remember when the 3D movies were introduced, me and a mate went to see, 'Horrors of the Wax Museum', I think it was. The programme was continuous, and when we got to the place where we'd started, we made our way to one of the downstairs exits at the front. I happened to glance at the audience, all wearing the glasses. That was funny.
This was at the Hippodrome, I forgot to say.

'The Gods' must have been the steepest balcony in any theatre in Sheffield.

At the bottom of each set of steps there were large brass tubular handrails to stop anyone falling over the balcony.

I used to be frightened to death walking down those steps.

The seating was like sitting on cushioned steps and when it was a popular film everyone was crushed together.

Happy Days!

Yep it was on Cambridge Street CLICKY (http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=s01466)

.I believe the last film they had there was "Gone With The Wind".

I can confirm that this was the last film; I was there on the last night in 1962. At the end of the film the manager got up and made a short speech, then everyone in the audience sang Auld Lang Syne, including some people who had been there on the opening night in 1907.

Brings back memories..THE GODS OH YES...my old friend DON BAKER ex de la salle and working in a Butchers shop at Wadsley Bridge last time I saw him 45 years ago..We went and made nuisances of ourselves..OF COURSE..Ice lollies thrown down from the back row..Always popular if the movie was bad..
The were kept busy running all over the show throwing offenders out..House of Wax 3D great laugh.. Those were the days ..Entrance to the Gods round the back... P K. cape town

I recall that Cambridge Street and in particular, The Barleycorn used to be a popular venue for ladies of the night.

I recall that Cambridge Street and in particular, The Barleycorn used to be a popular venue for ladies of the night.

Yes but thats when we were older..They were a well worn lot. Not really ladies and night time had nothing to do with it..They worked all the opening hours..Still I catch your drift!!!

For some reason, I can't remember why as it was around 60 years ago, the Hippodrome was one of my favourite cinemas, the other one was The Palace, Union Street. I remember seeing "Calamity Jane" at the Hippodrome on a temporary screen propped up on one side of the stage and I have queued for hours outside often in the pouring rain. I saw the "house of wax" in 3D there in the 50's as well.
Th Palace was a comfortable venue but you had to be careful where you sat as there were supporting pillars for the balcony which obstructed the view. The showed the first cinemascope film there as well, "The Robe", an odd choice for cinemascope because of those pillars!!

I used to go to the Hippodrome quite a lot last film I saw was 'The Circus of Horrors'.

It used to have a sliding roof which could be pulled back to let fresh air in - vital in those days when just about everyone smoked!

...and folk only had a bath once a week and some less often than that :hihi:

I never went to the Hippodrome but did visit the Barleycorn occasionally, I recall most of the 'ladies' were old enough to be my mother ;)

The hippodrome was a wonderful old music hall, as was the Empire. They should have been preserved as another poster has commented. I seem to remember there was public disquiet when these places were torn down, but unfortunately, outrage would have been needed to save them from the wrecker's ball.

I went to see Somebody up there likes me starring Paul Newman and Jack Palance very fitting since we were in the gods,they should have supplied oxygen bottles.As for the Barley corn you would'nt bend down to pick up a tanner!!

Bringing back memories of my youth, the Hippo and the Gaumont also the variety theatre.

Left Sheffield many years ago but I remember The Hippodrome being where the Grosvenor House Hotel is now on Cambridge Street.
The 'Gods' were the cheapest seats - well, upholstered benches to be more accurate - and had a separate entrance in Wellington Street or Backfields.
As Pop T mentioned they were extremely steep and would never be allowed nowadays ( H&S! ) Saw Captain Blood (1935) there starring Errol Flynn & Olivia de Havilland and House of Wax in 3D.
Also recall a man selling bags of hot chestnuts from a barrow sited on waste land ( probably a bomb site ) at the bottom of Cambridge Street / Moorhead in the early 50's. " Delicious after a night at the flicks".

I remember my dad taking me there in 1956/57? when I was ten to see Elvis Presley in Love Me Tender.

I recall that Cambridge Street and in particular, The Barleycorn used to be a popular venue for ladies of the night.So was the Black Swan just up the street, otherwise known as the Mucky Duck. Queued up at the Hippo one Sunday Night while we were being entertained by a guy in a kilt walking up and down playing his bagpipes. Somebody let off a banger under him. Put him off his octave for a minute or two.:):)

I always thought Hippodrome was at the end of Wellington St at the T junction of Cambridge St, but actually on Wellington St itself. Saw all the Tommy Steele films there back in the late 50's/early60's. Loved the step-seating which I cant recall seeing anywhere else. Also spent most Saturdays at the Star Cinema on the corner of Ecclesall Rd and William St.

I saw quite a few films at the "Hippo" the last being Moby Dick - happy days when you had a first and second house.

I saw quite a few films at the "Hippo" the last being Moby Dick - happy days when you had a first and second house.

The Hippodrome was located just below where the Wapentec used to be. I think it`s called The Limit now.

http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/y00015.jpg

my mum,87 on sunday,said today she won a dance competition at the hippo doing the charlstone, i asked her where the hippo was,and she didnt know, i do remember going ,but cant think where it was,i know it was in town somewhere ,either fargate or diviision st.

Next door to Nells Bar

Nell's Bar- good draught Bass there. At the back of the lounge there was a telephone booth, and the fireplace was a massive stainless steel affair. Wonder where THAT finished up?

The Hippodrome was unique as it had a sliding roof which could be opened during hot summer evenings (after dark of course).

Hi,

The sliding roof- more like a square hatch - was often opened in summer. This was mainly to let heat out and get some air circulation going . In mid summer it would still be light outside.

People who were regular Hippodrome patrons knew never to sit under the hatch. Dust invariably fell down when it was slid back. You certainly didn't sit there if the hatch was likely to beopening for the first time that season. Then a winter's worth of soot,dust, bird droppings, etc. was likely to fall.

Happy Days!

Regards

Saw a few films there, most memorable being Jailhouse Rock about 1958.

I was there too. Can't remember seeing you!! - could have been a different night I suppose. LOL

Remember my mum telling me that a lion once escaped from the Hippodrome when a circus was there sometime pre-war. The story went that it passed a woman cleaning in the foyer. Can anyone confirm this ?

my mum,87 on sunday,said today she won a dance competition at the hippo doing the charlstone, i asked her where the hippo was,and she didnt know, i do remember going ,but cant think where it was,i know it was in town somewhere ,either fargate or diviision st.

The hippo was on Cambridge St, I remember going in the Gods as they called it, when it was a cinema

:love:my mum,87 on sunday,said today she won a dance competition at the hippo doing the charlstone, i asked her where the hippo was,and she didnt know, i do remember going ,but cant think where it was,i know it was in town somewhere ,either fargate or diviision st.

The hippo was on Cambridge St, I remember going in the Gods as they called it, when it was a cinema