Abandoned And Not Forgotten

Hippodrome Theatre, Crouch End, London, originally uploaded by kencta.

Located at 31 Topsfield Parade, Tottenham Lane, Crouch End, N4. Designed by architect Frank Matcham, it opened on 27th July 1897 as the Queen's Opera House, with 1,200 seats. It was converted into a cinema in 1913 and was taken over by Gaumont in 1928. Closed by fire in 1942, it never re-opened. It was used for storage until the late-1960's, when the auditorium was demolished. A new building on the site of the auditorium now contains a gym (photographed here in October 2004 as Holmes Place). The facade was restored around 2000 (although not as elaborate as first built). In 2009, it is operated as a Virgin Active gym.