Bygones reader Mrs B M Tomlinson of Bulwell asked for information about the town's old Olympia music hall. Local historian RICK WILDE has all the answers

MONDAY, May 17, 1915 saw the grand opening of Bulwell Olympia with a traditional bill of pictures and variety. Topping the bill were Kirk and Saraski, a female aquatic act known as the Human Submarines, who had arrived direct from the London Pavilion, along with Charles Falla, a well known pantomime comedian.

Frank Stanmore and Gerald Ames were the stars of the key picture, Revenge of Thomas Atkins, a half-hour comedy where spies mistake a colonel's golf score for secret coded messages.

Unfortunately for the house, it was to have quite an unstable career.

It foreclosed in March 1922 due to the general demise of Music Hall.

For various reasons, it would remain closed until January 1928, when it opened with stage dramas.

By October of that year it had occasional weeks of films, owing to difficulties in booking touring companies.

An unforeseen enemy in the guise of colliery subsidence struck in October 1931, forcing the theatre to close on December 19.

Urgent repairs were made and the venue was able to reopen the following February.

However, subsidence problems began to return and during May 1939 large cracks began to develop in one of the side walls, causing one end of the balcony front to sag.

The venue closed after the last house on May 20, whilst city and colliery engineers surveyed the damage and its causes.

The situation was not helped by the Declaration of War in September 1939, which would see the theatre remain closed for the duration of the hostilities.

The owner, Edwin Widdowson, died in 1947 and his business interests which included the Palace and Public Hall in Bulwell and the Sneinton Picture House in Nottingham, were run by trustees.

Eventually, the structural repairs, internal decorations, new flooring and seating, not to mention additional balcony supports, were completed, and the Olympia was sold on to Heanor Developments run by entrepreneur Cecil Grace.

The Sheriff, his lady and a civic turn-out graced the re-opening on January 31 1949.

The new owners planned to stage variety during the winter months and films during the summer.

Modern projection and sound apparatus had been installed, and on July 23 the first Saturday children's show was held.

The major attraction was Potluck Pards, a primitive grade-Z western starring Walter Williams, made in 1934.

The kids' shows were something of a flop. The last recorded was nine weeks later on September 24 with an early Ken Maynard film, Wheels of Destiny.

The destiny of the Olympia was about to enter its final phase.

Variety had died, as had children's shows; its Sunday evening film attractions were poorly attended, and its application to hold boxing matches had been refused.

Its proprietors decided to turn the house over to adult entertainment, introducing the Naughty Nineties risque burlesque amongst straightforward striptease shows.

Many of its show titles during the final three years hardly bear repeating, and its last attraction: Oh! Girls Behave, appeared to sum up the thoughts of countless locals who had voted with their feet – leaving the performers to ever more empty houses.

Gone were the days when Morten's Wonder Circus, the Godwin Opera Company, the Golden West Show and high quality plays were squeezed in between the best of variety and pantomime, and playing twice nightly to crowded houses.

The Bulwell Olympia held its final show on Saturday July 12 1952. A year later the building was sold to F W Woolworth which opened a new store on the site by Christmas of that year.

Now, sadly, Woolworths has met a similar fate and the old building faces an uncertain future once again.