It's behind you... Oh no it isn't!

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It's behind you... Oh no it isn't!

by Usksider ^Pro @ Tuesday, 23. Jan, 2007 – 07:18:03

I find parts of Bradford interesting, architecturally; it has something to do with the beautiful Yorkshire stone used in the making of the older buildings, but a lot to do with the neo-gothic style used by some of the builders.

Then you come across something like this, Bradford’s famous Alhambra Theatre. Out of step with its surroundings maybe, but an interesting building none-the-less and one of my favourites in a strange sort of way. Why? Because I feel it would be better suited sited at the end of Brighton Pier. The Alhambra just reminds me of holidays and happiness and the sea-side; well nowt wrong with that then.

Na then, anyone fancy joining me for t'matinee performance?

The Alhambra Theatre
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22 Comments on It's behind you... Oh no it isn't!

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- lyndlj ^Pro
- Tuesday, 23. Jan, 2007 @ 08:02:30
I love the Alhambra, living only a bus ride from Bradford I get to see it when I want, studies and work permitting of course.
- - Usksider ^Pro
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  - Tuesday, 23. Jan, 2007 @ 08:16:51
  It's great isn't it? I really do like it a lot. I'm determined to see a performance one of these days, but so far haven't been further inside than the foyer.
  
  Do you by chance know the name of the (now closed) theatre just down the road?
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- deleted user (Visitor)
- Tuesday, 23. Jan, 2007 @ 10:17:18
It`s a while since i`ve seen The Alhambra. I used to love visiting the photography museum at Bradford. Once saw an amazing film in their huge theatre (is it the imax or something?) anyway the film was about the space shuttle...wow!
- - Usksider ^Pro
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  - Tuesday, 23. Jan, 2007 @ 19:59:57
  They've changed the name to the Media Museum now, did you know? Yes the Imax is quite amazing. We went on Saturday and watched a 3D thing about sharks.
  - - deleted user (Visitor)
    - Wednesday, 24. Jan, 2007 @ 09:50:35
    No, i didn`t. Quite fitting i suppose. I really must visit again soon, the children would love it.
    - - Usksider ^Pro
      - http://www.usksider.co.uk
      - Thursday, 25. Jan, 2007 @ 07:23:43
      Yes they would, especially all the gadgets they can play with; not that you'd ever catch the Mums and Dads playing with the exhibits of course...
      - deleted user (Visitor)
        
        Thursday, 25. Jan, 2007 @ 12:07:03
        
        Hee hee! I can remember trying to `read the evening new`s`, it was all set up like a real studio and everyhing. Not as easy as it looks i can tell you, and the autocue kept scrolling up loads of unpronouncable welsh words! It was hilarious, yes definately must go back soon.
        
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        Usksider ^Pro
        
        http://www.usksider.co.uk
        
        Friday, 26. Jan, 2007 @ 07:02:50
        
        Make it soon Sara, before they change too many of the exhibits.
        
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- http://bloggitygoodness.blog.ca
- Tuesday, 23. Jan, 2007 @ 11:53:58
Would be my pleasure! Then how about something to eat and a drink after? Beautiful picture
- - Usksider ^Pro
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  - Tuesday, 23. Jan, 2007 @ 20:01:35
  You're on! There's a great little restaurant just up the road and plenty of bars around that area of Bradford.
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- skip2468
- Tuesday, 23. Jan, 2007 @ 18:34:40
You seem to be quickly becoming a rare species - lol
- - Usksider ^Pro
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  - Tuesday, 23. Jan, 2007 @ 20:02:49
  Yep that's me Skip, rare as hen's teeth!
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- trolly ^Pro
- Tuesday, 23. Jan, 2007 @ 20:14:24
:-)

great photo...i love the colours: esp the deep, saturated indigo sky....

trolly x
- - Usksider ^Pro
  - http://www.usksider.co.uk
  - Tuesday, 23. Jan, 2007 @ 20:28:32
  It was 7:30 in the morning so still quite dark. A long exposure was neccessary to make the capture, but the sky appears lighter in the result than in real life.
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- Sheffstox
- Thursday, 25. Jan, 2007 @ 00:06:04
The closed theatre/cinema down the road has trees growing from the roof. IMAX is excellent. We saw a cartoon about a boxing match there in 3D, felt a bit of a plonka in the Timmy Mallett spex, but the big boxing gloves fair whistled past yer nose end. The one in Den Haag, Holland is more surreal because the screen is on the ceiling and you sort of lay down in bucket seats and just look up.
- - Usksider ^Pro
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  - Thursday, 25. Jan, 2007 @ 07:14:30
  Yes it's a shame the other place is in such a bad state of repair - still don't know what it was called.
  
  The whole Imax experience is interesting isn't it? I love the way (and those of less worldly wide experience) reach out to grab things as they whoosh past!
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- layreader1810
- Thursday, 25. Jan, 2007 @ 22:21:44
I love buildings with character and The Alhambra Theatre
certainly has charcter. The Old Harrogate was nice until they started mixing it with non descript modern stuff. But Yorkshire is a lovely place.
- - Usksider ^Pro
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  - Friday, 26. Jan, 2007 @ 07:01:25
  Yes indeed, give me character of steel and glass anytime. As a nation we've lost too many beautiful buildings.
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- menhir
- Friday, 26. Jan, 2007 @ 20:14:39
Now, Usk, I'm taking issue with you.

...it would be better suited sited at the end of Brighton Pier.

Why shouldn't every place have it's outstanding or quirky features, without someone thinking it would be suited to the overload of similar stuff elsewhere. Brighton still has enough of its own. The near North has populations that appreciate art and enjoy it. The building and what it does it proof of it. It's like saying the London Coliseum should be trasported to Ilkley Moor ba t'aat.

I saw buildings that were transported and re-erected completely out of context, they had no meaning. There was a whole 'village' of them. There was no attempt to retain anything of the interiors of those buildings. It was all quite incongruous. The only significance of the action was to preserve their facades for future generations to see, hopefully put together with some contextual information.

Where the Alhambra structure is,its original postioning, I presume, enables it to stand out and be appreciated as a fine piece of architecture of its day.
- - Usksider ^Pro
  - http://www.usksider.co.uk
  - Saturday, 27. Jan, 2007 @ 13:26:31
  You're missing my point I think; I like the Alhambra and am happy with its location, despite the pier end appearance.
  
  I'm all in favour of originality and wish in many ways there were more of it. That said I feel architecture should be sympathetic with its surroundings; I really dislike the concrete and steel monstrosity’s commonplace in today's society, that spring up amid classically beautiful Bath stone, Yorkshire stone, etc. Nothing wrong with modern architectural styles when properly sited of course.
  
  I wonder if the village you refer to was William Clough Ellis’s Port Meirion? An interesting, if eccentric experiment. The village was used as the set for the 1960s TV show, “Prisoner” starring Patrick McGoohan.
  - - menhir
    - Saturday, 27. Jan, 2007 @ 14:44:05
    No, I'm not missing your point, you still say you think it would look good at the end of Brighton Peir and more power to its elbow where it is, you say that too. I would go with one view on this issue.
    
    No, the village I saw was abroad and was not built specifically as a pastiche as is Portmeirion. It looked more like a "let's put some bits and pieces from all sorts of regions, there" place It has no guts and is entirely commercially used. It was a place where I think a space had to be filled. A film set could have done the same thing but the difference is, the facades did belong to original buildings. It's a 'village' of architectural masks, it is a masquerade for something it will never really be and dies at night.
    
    I happen to like Portmeirion and enjoyed my visit there. I would certainly put it on my returns list. I was interested to see there were holiday apartments and houses there for hire. I used to watch The Prisoner,in monochrome, as and when I could, so it was a colourful surprise to me to see how lively looking Portmeirion is and that there are homes there.
    - - Usksider ^Pro
      - http://www.usksider.co.uk
      - Saturday, 27. Jan, 2007 @ 15:22:52
      Quite right, there are some real buildings at Port Meirion and it is an interesting place to visit. I used to think it a shame that not all the facades fronted actual buildings, but of course the building costs would have been astronomic and although Clough-Ellis wasn't short of a few quid I doubt his bank account was a bottomless pit.
      
      I suppose there may be ‘fake’ villages in various world locations – there used to be one on Menorca, I think called Binibeca (sp?) that was open to tourists during the day and closed at night although I believe people can holiday there now.
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It's behind you... Oh no it isn't!

The Alhambra Theatre

22 Comments on It's behind you... Oh no it isn't!

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