The George (Bingo Hall)

sconegrrl · Post by **sconegrrl** » 27 Jun 2005, 16:50

Hi there. Sorry if this has been discussed before or should be common knowledge! I've been fascinated by The George in Bath Street for years. The architecture is so unusual for the area, I just love it. I'd like to know more about it's history. What was it used for originally? Does anyone have or know where I can find old photographs of it? Cheers.

Robin! · Post by **Robin!** » 27 Jun 2005, 17:18

It used to be a cinema so my parents tell me, along with the old Suite Factory which I noticed the other week has dissapeared

sconegrrl · Post by **sconegrrl** » 27 Jun 2005, 17:18

Yep! I've done some snooping of my own on the intranot superinfohighweb this afternoon and it seems that it used to be a cinema, as did the recently demolished Suite Factory (which opened in 1919!)

Portobello Cinema: Opened 1939, refurbished and renamed George in 1954. Closed 1974. Bingo since then. Facade has been reduced in height, and central tower removed. C-listed.

Still, any photos, stories etc... I'd love to see/hear them.

bearcub · Post by **bearcub** » 27 Jun 2005, 17:22

<a href="http://www.imageshack.us"><img src="http://img181.echo.cx/img181/2050/thegeorge6ks.jpg" border="0" width="360" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

Hi sconegrrl, photo from when it was known as 'The County' - original name when it opened in 1939 - sorry, not old enough to remember it being a cinema

Reckon it would be great if it was still a cinema, or even a theatre.

sconegrrl · Post by **sconegrrl** » 27 Jun 2005, 17:26

Wow it looks great in that photo!

I know how cool must it have been to have 2 cinemas in Bath Street! At least it's still there. It looks absolutely massive though. I may have to join the Bingo to get in and have a good old snoop!

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 27 Jun 2005, 17:29

Hi sconegrrl.

The George ( once known as the County) was built as a cinema in 1937. The architect was Bowhill Gibson.Bowhill Gibson specialised in Edinburgh cinemas - he designed the Dominion in Edinburgh and the Regal in Niddrie.

When I was small (in the 1950's) the outside of the George used to be blue, not white and the top of the building was outlined in neon. Between the two 'drums' ( which now look stumpy) there used to be a tall, semi-circular advertising tower made of glazed bricks which rose up 33 feet above the canopy. It was lit from the inside with lights which constantly changed colour. (I think it was taken down in the seventies for safety reasons - too expensive to maintain.) The curtain was an underwater scene with seahorses and other marine creepy crawlies.

Unlike the old Bungalow further down Bath Street (recently deceased), you could not get in to the George by presenting lemonade bottles.

I haven't yet found photographs of the George on any websites, but there are some in the Edinburgh Library in George IV Bridge.

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 27 Jun 2005, 17:35

rathbone wrote:there used to be a tall, semi-circular advertising tower made of glazed bricks which rose up 33 feet above the canopy.

There's still a billboard space on the back wall with a light over it, which *fortunately* they don't use. I might regret posting this if anyone reminds them they could make some money by using it!!!

I wish they'd rerender (is that a real word?) their chimney though - looks like it's going to topple over any day now

.

sconegrrl · Post by **sconegrrl** » 27 Jun 2005, 17:38

rathbone wrote:Between the two 'drums' ( which now look stumpy) there used to be a tall, semi-circular advertising tower made of glazed bricks which rose up 33 feet above the canopy. It was lit from the inside with lights which constantly changed colour.

Wow that sounds amazing! Was the open air swimming pool from the same era then? The library has quite a few photos of that. How sad that it has gone.

Now I know The George was called The County, I'm finding a wee bit more info about it. I can see the similarity with the Dominion, but I'd say that The County was vastly more splendid.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 27 Jun 2005, 17:45

And let's not forget this pic of a young ecm:

Ali has spent the last hour or so converting bmps into jpgs for me so I could post this.

Here's one of me at the George Cinema, Bath Street, now a bingo hall, after seeing the Fab Four in Hard Days Night. The film was released in 1964 so I reckon I'm 3 or 4 years old in the pic.

For those interested in spladooshing and bagging I still find it hard to walk past those steps and not skip down them.

sconegrrl · Post by **sconegrrl** » 27 Jun 2005, 17:55

Brilliant! It's like a whole other world exists on our doorsteps.

How ace is this forum? (Answer: very!)

Robin! · Post by **Robin!** » 27 Jun 2005, 17:58

Thats a good pic of the George! Looks empty with no cars in those days!

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 27 Jun 2005, 18:06

Where the rendering is coming away from the wall at ground level near the car park, you can see various layers of tiles that covered the walls in days gone by including blue ones.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 27 Jun 2005, 18:43

Bellybabe wrote:I wish they'd rerender (is that a real word?)

Absolutely. The Platters used to sing about it amd I think Queen did a version too.

Post by **wangi** » 27 Jun 2005, 20:09

Hi there, some info, but no pics!

http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/porta ... BNUM=26818

HB Number 26818
Item Number: 10 P
14 BATH STREET, THE GEORGE, FORMERLY THE COUNTY

Group with Items:
Map sheet: NT37SW
Category: C(S)
Group Category:
Date of Listing 12-DEC-1974

Description:
T Bowhill Gibson, 1938, with later alterations. Art Deco, 3-storey, rectangular-plan former cinema, now bingo hall. Harled painted side elevations, rendered and lined to principal elevation. Coping at wallhead; vertical strips to parapet.
SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: centre advanced; 5 steps to modern plate glass window and flanking doors (originally 2-leaf timber-framed doors to outer, similarly glazed sections to centre); modern timber canopy with rounded and grooved original corbels flanking (echoing rounded tower bases framing entrance area). Formerly glazed brick tower to centre, projecting (like fin) forward above, since removed; projecting strip to centre with "George" in applied letters running down; stepped wall surface flanking; outer section of centre advanced and rounded as towers with quadripartite blinded horizontal window to upper sections and tripartite windows lower down on returns. Outer recessed bays blank.

Piended corrugated asbestos roof with steel trusses.

INTERIOR: access to balcony now blocked. Entrance vestibule with coombed ceiling; skirting; fluted frieze; ticket booth to centre between staircases leading to balcony; 2-leaf flush timber doors leading to stalls to left with semi-circular glazed panels overlapping with metal handles; gent's lavatory to front left; modern sweet shop to right; ladies's lavatory to front left. Simple design to vents in ceiling. Double curved, stepped iron banister to stairs still in place. Original signs to lavatories, stalls and balcony. Auditorium now with false ceiling, truncating proscenium. Dado, curving over double doors to side of proscenium. Gently slopping floor. Seats since removed. Some details remaining, such as circular niches and strip plasterwork to walls.

References:
Dean of Guild records. C McKean, THE SCOTTISH THIRTIES-AN ARCHITECTURAL INTRODUCTION, (1987), P 67-68. Gifford, McWilliam, Walker, BUILDINGS OF SCOTLAND, (1991).

Notes:
Since the demolition of the open-air swimming baths, this building is the last large-scale structure dating from the 1930s surviving in Portobello. On the plans the centre bays, flanking the tower are seen to be taller than outer bays but not as tall as tower. "The original facing block (currently brilliant white) was in two shades of light blue, and the 33' high advertising tower was entirely glazed, and illuminated at night from inside by means of cyclo troughing, giving constantly changing pastel hues. The top of the building was outlined by a thin line of neon tubing, and the remainder of the facade was floodlit by lights hidden behind the canopy."
C McKean, (1987), p 67-68.

http://lmid1.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/n ... ink=149617

Opened in 1939 on the site of a former variety hall. Designed by T Bowhill Gibson, architects, the last large cinema built in the city. Reconstructed in 1954 and renamed The George (see also NT37SW 978). Closed as a cinema in 1974 and converted into a bingo hall.
B Thomas 1984

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 27 Jun 2005, 22:08

Didn't they have black glass bricks on either side at one time, underneath the frames which held the 'stills' of the picture which was on at the time? I remember watching them taking the glass structure down from my Mum's front room window (no.12) but I didn't really understand the tragedy of it then (I was 12). You should have a look at the thread 'The way we Were' - lots of wee stories about the George on there

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 27 Jun 2005, 22:59

I have great memories of going to the George Saturday matinees almost every week. Beatles, Elvis and Man from Uncle films used to have queues stretching all the way up to the High Street. I also saw one of the last films ever shown in the George which was Paper Moon starring Ryan and Tatum O'Neil. Brill fun