We recently carried a picture spread of a very different looking Weymouth town centre in the 1980s.
Featured were pictures of buildings, some of which were demolished in the 1980s to make for a new shopping centre. One of these was the Jubilee Hall, a unique Victorian building. In the mid-20th century it was the Odeon cinema, then a bingo hall.
Reader Geoff Kirby has been in touch to share pictures of the hall as it was being demolished - and its sad aftermath.
He writes: “Weymouth Council had undertaken to preserve the hall structure to be reerected possibly as a museum.
The remains were dumped in a Portland quarry where they rotted away. Only four pillars survived and these can be seen in a shop next to Waitrose, Poundbury.
Scroll down to see the saga of 1989 demolition of the Jubilee Hall and its sad end in a Portland quarry.
Original laminated wooden roof beams of the Jubilee Hall being removed Picture: Dr Geoffrey Poole
The original laminated wooden roof beams being removed Picture: Dr Geoffrey Poole
The remains of the old cinema being destroyed with the balcony seating still visible. Picture: Dr Geoffrey Poole
To see the 1980s pictures of a very different looking Weymouth town centre, click here
The steel girders and cast iron pillars left exposed to rain and salt-laden wind. The mock Egyptian decorations on the pillars was still visible in the early 1990s Picture: Geoff Kirby
A carved stone dumped in Perryfields Quarry Picture: Geoff Kirby
All the iron work is rusted and the intricate decorations have gone Picture: Geoff Kirby
Weymouth Council coat of arms on a piece of the hall’s carved stone Picture: Geoff Kirby
Rusted iron work from the hall pictured 10 years later Picture: Geoff Kirby
The last remains of the once great Jubilee Hall in an unoccupied shop in Poundbury next to the Waitrose superstore. This picture was taken through the shop window in 2015 and shows the four cast iron pillars and the stone carved with a crown on the left Picture: Geoff Kirby
For more information on the Saga of Weymouth's Jubilee Hall, see Geoff Kirby's website.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel