A famous Art Deco concert hall that once played hosted The Beatles and Buddy Holly will reopen its doors. Stockton-on-Tees may not be the first place we think of when considering superb concert halls, but the Globe is a wonder to behold. Its musical history is not in question. The Globe is Grade II listed, representing some fine art deco art and architecture of the period. It is in such a sorry state today that campaigners decided to appeal to HLF. Now, a £4.5m revamp is in the works to restore it to its former glory. Stockton-on-Tees Globe Theatre will soon once again play host again to music and comedy.
By Petegal-half (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
About the Globe Art Deco Concert Hall
As the announcement of the £4.5m cash went to press, the council announced a 25-year entertainment lease. Now the hard work to restore The Globe begins 20 years after its initial closure. However, the building is dilapidated, requiring around £15m of repairs. It will be some time before the Art Deco concert hall reopens its doors. Significant investment is required. The local council will pay £10.5m with the remaining £4.5m coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Once reopened, it will provide 250 local jobs and once again become a local focal point.
It first opened its doors in 1935 and by the 1970s hosted Bay City Rollers, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Lonnie Donegan, Mud and The Rolling Stones. Most famously, The Beatles played the venue twice – with one of their appearances on the same night as JFK was shot (22nd November 1963). It was once vital for the local economy, for jobs and bringing visitors, and it’s hoped the Art Deco concert hall will do so again. It’s all thanks to lottery players just like you.