The Pavilion
FOR over 30 years The Pavilion in Hemel Hempstead was the place for everything from big shows and star names to political rallies, dinner dances and charity fairs.
The Pavilion |
Its acoustics were reckonned to be so good major orchestras played there.
But as the Millennium came the Pav's future looked bleak - it was said work need to update it would cost to much and by 2002 the demolition men moved in despite pleas to keep the building until an alternative had been agreed.
Despite hopes it has not been replaced and is now just a patch of grass
Back to the dawning of the Pavilion era in 1964 and in the summer there was a topping out ceremony for the completion of the roof of the Pavilion which was to be Hemel Hempstead's entertainment centre it cost £360, 000 to build
At the topping out the Mayor of the time Alistair Melhuish congratulated the architect Clifford Culpin and said he hoped the building would be completed on time as the council had paid out £900 for Montovani and his orchestra to appear there the next spring. The council had already appointed an entertainments manager for the Pavilion, Mr John Flood.
Harold Wilson addressed a Labour rally in the Pavilion |
The opening did take place on schedule on Friday, April 22 1966 and was combined with the official opening of the new town hall and the health centre.
The official honours were done by the Labour government's Home Secretary Roy Jenkins.
Just prior to the opening Alderman Gilbert Hitchcock, who was chairman of the council's building committee held a press conference and, according to the Gazette, portrayed a “glittering image of a Pavilion ablaze with light and buzzing with activity every night of the week.”
It was to be the answer to criticisms that the new town centre was dead at night. Mind you, this didn't come without a price. It would coast the ratepayer £44,505 (the equivalent of a 3d rate)in the first year as the council projected this new image.
2002 and the demolition begins |
Things certainly seemed to start well as on the first Saturday night the ‘house full' signs went up at 9pm and the dance floor was never empty as people “danced, shook or jumped” to Bob Miller and the Millermen and the Jerry Allen Big Band.
Monday night saw the first session of what was to become a major Pavilion attraction for many years - wrestling.
There were still concerns about costs though and within a week of the opening Councillor Wood was questioning the expenditure of £750 on tableclothes.
Alderman Hitchcock was quick to reply: “People will not expect to have their fish and chips off newspaper.”
By November some of the glitter seemed to be wearing off. The council decided to do away with having a resident band for the Saturday night dances and Wall Johnstone the well known bandleader who had been the Pavilion resident accused the Pavilion management of ‘not being with it' and failing dismally to attract people.
Over the years there were criticisms, but praise too and all sorts of events were held there.
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