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| 30.11.11 |
The Hippodrome is progressing at a steady pace and it looks like they are restoring and enhancing some of the original features.
Today's feature includes present day photos along with some original pictures and illustrations.
This was once a magnifcient builiding with a long and esteemed history in the entertainment industry.
I hope they do restore the building to its former glory and it is succsefull again
Hippodrome a Brief History
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| 30.11.11 |
The London Hippodrome was built in 1900 by
Frank Matcham for
Edward Moss for £250,000 as a
hippodrome for
circus and
variety performances. The venue gave its first Circus show on 15 January 1900.
[1] Entry to the venue was through a bar, dressed as a ship's saloon and the performance space featured both a proscenium stage and an arena that sank into a 230 ft, 100,000 gallon water tank (400 ton, when full) for aquatic spectacles. The tank featured eight central fountains, and a circle of fountains around the side. Entrances at the side of the auditorium could also be flooded, and used for the entry of boats.
[2] Shows included equestrian acts, elephants and polar bears, and acrobats would dive from a
Minstrel Gallery above a sliding roof, in the centre of the
proscenium arch. The auditorium featured
cantilevered galleries, removing the columns that often obstructed views in London theatres, the whole was covered by a painted glass retractable roof, that could be illuminated at night.
[2] The building included the headquarters of
Moss Empires.
[3]
Theatre 1909-1951
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| 1930ish |
In 1909, it was reconstructed by Matcham as a music-hall and variety theatre with 1340 seats in stalls, mezzanine, gallery, and upper gallery levels. It was here that Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake received its English première by the Ballets Russes in 1910. The Albert de Courville (1887–1960) revues were performed here from December 1912.
In 1919, the Hippodrome hosted the first official jazz gig in the United Kingdom, by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band.[4]
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| 1907 |
Its reputation was for revue and musical comedy, among them The Five O'Clock Girl and also Mr. Cinders, both in 1929, Ivor Novello's Perchance to Dream in 1945 with Margaret Rutherford, and the revue High Spirits in 1953 with Cyril Ritchard and Diana Churchill. Julie Andrews made her stage debut here at the age of 12. From 1949 to 1951 it was the London equivalent of the Folies Bergères.
The decision to scrap plans to build a super casino in the UK effectively killed off the notion of opening a 1,250-machine gaming facility anywhere in the country, it has been claimed.
Last weeks winners was Mike Staley with "Unfortunately, yet again Robbie has left the band, but his dad has offered to step in for the remainder of the tour" I will be sending him a prize in the post up to the value of a massive £1 
Attendance in Casinos for the month September was 1.4 million people, this is slightly up from the same time last year by .5% The biggest shift in attendance was actually in London, the biggest downturn was the "regular" casinos in London, this was down by nearly 3% BUT the biggest gain in attendance was the in the BIG 6 in London by the same 3% 
David Heap, TCS John Huxley’s chief executive, is to step down from the role on March 1, 2012.
Casino operator Genting UK has announced that it has purchased the Fox Poker Club in London for an undisclosed sum and will add it to its Genting Casinos portfolio of venues that includes the Circus, Maxims and Mint brands.
Ipostek the Camera software people have had an article in the NEW SCIENTIST. 
The first day went to the usual schedule Mon 7th of Nov (unable to do any part of the install). The second day was a little better and things began to happen, fortunately things are now staring to to move and the club is taking shape thanks to the sterling efforts of Mark Needham, Dave Curtis, Tony Pierpoint, Logistics and Dave Jennings team. 
We also have the largest and newest collection of slot machines -150 in total which includes the latest ‘Sex and the City’ game.
The tables and displays have now been installed (pics below) and there is a possibility that the wheels will soon be connected to the IGT MP system. Hopefully it will be a sucsess and they will need more equipment 
The world's first eye-controlled arcade game will make its first public appearance at Dave & Buster's Time Square, New York, today.
On a regular basis we will bring you facts and figures of how the casinos are performing
Dumb as a box of Rocks
