Demise of historic Hippodrome venue sad but inevitable for some Dudley locals
The demise of a Black Country landmark in the Dudley Hippodrome has stirred wistful memories in Black Country residents, as well as "terror to think history has been wiped away".
The demolition of the Dudley Hippodrome was completed on Wednesday, marking the end of a venue which had hosted stars including Tommy Cooper, Paul Anka and Roy Orbison and was a centre for entertainment in the town for decades.
It closed as a bingo hall in 2009, following the end of live entertainment there in 1974, and it has now been demolished despite the best efforts of campaigners to keep it standing.
The art deco building had been a popular venue for young people in the 1950s and 60s and for some folk, it was a sad end to a building they remembered with fondness, as well as the end of a Dudley landmark.
Julie Rogers said it was a real shame that the building had been demolished as she remembered going there for bingo with her mother.
She said: "Mum used to go to the bingo every week and I sometimes went with her and it was a great place with tributes bands playing, so it was really lovely.
"I just think it's a shame that it's been knocked down - and Dudley is just terrible as I've lived here all my life and there's nothing here now. We used to have some great shops and it all seems to have gone now."
