Southport Drill Hall-End of Era

Contractors have started to demolish Southport Drill Hall, Manchester Road, Southport.



Early this morning (Monday 27th September 2004) contractors reclaimed a number of cast iron fire places along with the solid wood flooring from the building. A new development of flats is to be built on the old site.

Pictured below is the old rifle range.



Contractors strip the wooden flooring.





Demolition work started at the rear of the building.



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I can see shades of Ped playing Badminton!

Shame, although I don't know what else it could be used for if it has outlived its' purpose. However I do hope that there is some architectural value to the block of flats that will replace it.

My memories of the Drill Hall were seeing the front crowded with Post Office vans at christmas time and my tortoise winning a certificate in a pet show their.
Phil

Southport Badminton Club used the Drill Hall for many many years. It was used, by them, at least six nights a week and on a Saturday morning.

The T.A. used to use one of the upstairs rooms on one or two nights a week, the room at the far end was used by the Table Tennis players for many years and the cadets and shooting club used another room.

It was a very busy place.

During the day time the drill hall was used by Southport College, also some of the other rooms were used for work training, i.e. YTS.

Although it was not an architectural gem it is a shame that this leisure space has been lost to the community.

I did my YTS there.....Office Services Bureau, I had such a laugh there, I also played Badminton there too.....good memories

I attended some wonderful ballroom dancing evenings at the drill hall in years gone by. As with everything else people have to spoil things, at the end of the evening we always used to have a bit of fun and finish with the Hokey-Cokey. I can always remember one evening that awful Mr Buchanan , who sometimes posts here, gave the most lewd, suggestive and disgusting versions of this dance you're ever likely to see. after this we were all barred from the drill hall never to return.

The youth of today don't know what they're missing when it comes to dancing, the old time and ballroom dancing is so elegant, nowadays the youngsters just in a demented gyration. In my day i could do the twist as well as anyone but it's all they seem to do these days.

Badminton Team of 1974/75 taken in The Drill Hall

When did Borg play in Southport (back row) ??????????

The place has now gone forever

The drill Hall was also used by the 7th Kings Cadet Batallion of which I was a member....SIR!

Originally Posted by pedoja

Southport Badminton Club used the Drill Hall for many many years. It was used, by them, at least six nights a week and on a Saturday morning.
y.

I used to play badminton there around 1970. I used to wear a brace on my teeth,and one day, I lunged for a shot, got tangled in the net and got me brace caught up on it...it took my mate 10 mins to stop laughing while I stood there with the badminton net hanging out of my mouth. Oh, happy days.

Originally Posted by pedoja

Badminton Team of 1974/75 taken in The Drill Hall

So cute

Originally Posted by ex more

So cute

They look like extras in a 70's German porn film

DOH!..I have the lion head door knockers from there

Just wondered if anybody else out there remembered when the old Drill Hall was used by Roy Cliff's Band around mid 1940's and maybe had any pictures??
Members of the Band went in on their hands and knees to clean the oil etc. off the floor and then polished up the wooden flooring so it could be used for dances. There was one in particualar for VE Day celebrations. They were a massive success until the Council took their licence to play away, as more people went to Roy Cliff's Band than the local council Band