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Stanhope Road
Deal
Above photo showing the Stanhope Hall, 1920, later to become the Astor
Theatre. |
Above pictures from Google Map 2009. |
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From Those Were the Days; series in the East Kent Mercury of October 2008:-
Stanhope Road was built about 1903-1904 on land belonging to Hill's Brewery which
closed in 1901. The site was sold on to Steed Bayly, once Mayor of Deal,
and Arthur Wise, also a prominent local businessman. They developed the
site, creating Stanhope Road running from the High Street through the
Brewery site and orchard behind to West Street.
Stanhope Hall and skating rink, (later the Astor Theatre), was built in
1904/1905. By 1906 the hall was advertised as being available for
"entertainments, meetings and receptions", having a glassed enclosure
for seating which was used for concerts and shows when the Pier Theatre
was too exposed in bad weather. The space was also used as a
roller-skating rink. In 1928, when the new Deal Pavilion opened on the
seafront, Stanhope Hall was converted and renamed the Winter Gardens
Theatre.
In 1934 Deal's MP Major John James Astor leased the site to Deal Borough
Council as the Astor Hall, with a WVS canteen. In 1944 he presented the
then Astor Hall/Winter Gardens to the people of Deal to mark his
retirement from Parliament and in recognition of their stoic behaviour
during the bombing of the Second World War. The council renamed it the
Astor Theatre. In 2000, new management took over and, when the theatre
had been unused for a number of months, public pressure again focused on
saving the theatre.
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Information below taken from their web site 26 April 2015. In May
1945, immediately following the end of the Second World War, Deal's MP,
John Jacob Astor gave this building to the people of Deal for their
‘courage and fortitude' during WW2. In recognition of this exceptional
gift, the theatre was renamed The Astor Hall. Ever since, the building
has been managed by a number of individuals and trusts with varying
degrees of success. In 2008 the theatre was closed as the building was
deemed to be unsafe.
In June 2009, James Tillitt of Deal Arts Management CIC, acquired the
lease and began a 7-month restoration programme and the building
reopened in January 2010 as The Astor Community Theatre. Since then the
theatre has become the ‘go to' venue reflecting all that is good about
Deal town and its diverse community. ACT is now a centre of inspiration
and excellence with a diverse programme of events, as a centre for
fitness and well being, youth education and engagement, adult education,
an amenity for local schools, businesses and community groups, an
employer of local people, work experience and apprenticeships for young
people, a customer and generator of income for local businesses, a new
café/bar, an art gallery and a high quality flexible space for a number
of private events, business networking meetings and trade shows. |
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From the East Kent Mercury 18 August, 2011.
ASTOR 'DRUNK DRY' BY FESTIVAL GOERS
The huge success of the Astor's first beer festival has paved the way
for the event to become a permanent fixture of the theatre's calendar.
Artistic director James Tillitt plans to hold another festival again
next august, on a week that doesn't clash with the Broadstairs Folk
Festival, to make it a beer and music mecca for people in east Kent.
He said: "We had nearly 400 people through the doors over the two
days and they drunk us dry."
Eight beers - many from Kent breweries - attracted beer lovers while
two Kentish cider makers provided barrels so potent, they showed exactly
why the county is known as the garden of England.
With names as interesting as Tasty Old Wife and Blushing Old Wife, it
was worth having a try, whatever your preferred tipple.
"About £200 was raised for the Deal Maritime Folk Festival which will
be held in September.
"That's the reason we held the beer festival, to raise cash for the
festival, aside from the fact Deal has never had a beer festival," Mr.
Tillitt added.
Music was provided by many local bands including Humble Oaks, King's
Evil, Driftwood and Way Out.
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From an email received 6 April, 2012
Just want to say that we
celebrated the 50th year of guiding in 1960 in the Astor with a play
which included my dog Rex and 6th Deal St Richards Guides. Great
memories.
Jean Goodwin. |
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