Anyone who has been close to this building will appreciate how hard it is to get anywhere near it, the club has been closed for over 20 years now and untouched inside and as far as i know only visited by one other person since closure.
History
Swansea Dock Workers Hall and Institute throughout its life the building would serve a dual purpose. Entertainment for the people of Swansea on one level and beneath a club for the town's working men.
Below the auditorium the Dock Workers Hall and Institute included a large ball room, ladies reading room and social bar. The land behind High Street drops down a steep hill side allowing the Dock Workers Hall plenty of space below the cinema. Both cinema and workingman's club were entered through an high fronted building on High street which still boasts an impressive Edwardian Facade. Also sharing the buildings ground floor along High street was a small shop which was home to a branch of W.H Smith's the stationers for a long time.
The Swansea docks were a major employer in the town during the early part of the twentieth century. It like many working men's clubs in south wales had strong links with the labor and socialist movement. eventually the Dock Workers Hall became home to the Labour Party in Swansea the party's local headquarters were located in the upper floors of the High Street building and the Dockworkers hall became the Swansea and District Labour Hall and Institute.
During the 20's and 30's the ballroom at the labour hall became a popular venue for dance band music, meanwhile the cinema was still doing good business up above. The cinema and labour hall both remained open for the duration of the second world war, during which Swansea was the target of heavy bombing by the Luftwaffe. High street was at the heart of Swansea town centre and was the main shopping street, following the heaviest period of bombing known as the three day blitz the Elysium was one of only two buildings left standing on High Street.
Opened in 1914 the Cinema closed in 1960, eventually the whole building closed 1994
Thanks for looking
Swansea Dock Workers Hall and Institute throughout its life the building would serve a dual purpose. Entertainment for the people of Swansea on one level and beneath a club for the town's working men.
Below the auditorium the Dock Workers Hall and Institute included a large ball room, ladies reading room and social bar. The land behind High Street drops down a steep hill side allowing the Dock Workers Hall plenty of space below the cinema. Both cinema and workingman's club were entered through an high fronted building on High street which still boasts an impressive Edwardian Facade. Also sharing the buildings ground floor along High street was a small shop which was home to a branch of W.H Smith's the stationers for a long time.
The Swansea docks were a major employer in the town during the early part of the twentieth century. It like many working men's clubs in south wales had strong links with the labor and socialist movement. eventually the Dock Workers Hall became home to the Labour Party in Swansea the party's local headquarters were located in the upper floors of the High Street building and the Dockworkers hall became the Swansea and District Labour Hall and Institute.
During the 20's and 30's the ballroom at the labour hall became a popular venue for dance band music, meanwhile the cinema was still doing good business up above. The cinema and labour hall both remained open for the duration of the second world war, during which Swansea was the target of heavy bombing by the Luftwaffe. High street was at the heart of Swansea town centre and was the main shopping street, following the heaviest period of bombing known as the three day blitz the Elysium was one of only two buildings left standing on High Street.
Opened in 1914 the Cinema closed in 1960, eventually the whole building closed 1994
Thanks for looking
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