DESCRIPTION OF MILLOM PALLADIUM

The palladium was built as a much needed Recreation Hall for the developing township, and opened in 1912. The ground floor was a purpose-built theatre with stall and balcony seating and full stage facilities. Dressing rooms are on the lower floor with one large room that housed billiard tables.

In the mid 1920s the shareholders sold the building to a cinema company, with the arrangement that Millom Amateur Operatic Society should still present its annual musical there. The Society had already installed the necessary staircases and fire curtain, and made other minor alterations. This arrangement continued until 1968.

Millom was dependent on a single industry, mining for iron, and 1968 was the year when the last mine closed. The cinema company decided to sell the Palladium and offered it to the Society for 6000 pounds. This was an enormous sum for an entirely voluntary body and all appeals to the council proved unsuccessful.

However the town was unwilling to lose its only home for entertainment, so a public appeal was launched with a public meeting. Eventually, with financial support, the Society purchased the Palladium and repaid the debt within the allotted time. In return, the Society pledged itself to continue the original use of the building.

In 1977, the stall fixed seating was removed, a new floor put in and stackable seating obtained. The billiard tables were removed and this became our rehearsal room in 1983/4. A film club continued to show films until 1983, when demand died, however the Projection equipment and screen are still with us and need little to update it for modern showings.

In 1986 the entire building was reroofed, at a cost of 19,000 pounds and with donations from the local community the debt repaid by 1990.

Millom Operatic Society became a charity in 1993, so we are an entirely voluntary body that owns its own 370 seat theatre. There cannot be many other such arrangements in the whole country!

PAST EVENTS

Rhythm Dead Lady 29 September 2007
Rough Justice 29 September 2007
Skunk 29 September 2007
The Dirty Dozen: a variety of bands 01 January 1900