Huddersfield A - Z - Ivanhoe's: rock history

This is the former Huddersfield Grand Picture Theatre, opened as a cinema in 1921, for a building cost of £32,000. The cinema closed in 1957, and like so many other cinemas it was turned into a nightclub, eventually becoming Ivanhoe's in the 70s.

Go large to see the fabulous detail of the stonework.

It found immortality on Christmas Day in 1977, when Ivanhoe's hosted the Sex Pistols' last ever UK gig. What interests me even more than that, is the fact that during the afternoon, the band hosted a party for local underprivileged kids - especially those of local firefighters, who had been on strike for several months (remember the Green Goddesses?).

Huge cakes were provided, and ultimately used for a massive food fight, and the kids left with arms full of souvenirs: badges, records, tee-shirts, skateboards and other toys. The band performed for the kids, Sid Vicious even spat at the audience and Johnny Rotten had to remind him they were just kids.

I absolutely love the story, you just couldn't make it up.

Ivanhoe's is long gone, and they built a supermarket behind it; in a rare display of good sense, the council kept the facade of the building. You can just see the supermarket poking out of the top of the shot, along with a tree growing out of the roof. Reminders that the site of rock history is now vacant (ha - you knew I was going there didn't you?!).

Happy Bank Holiday weekend!