I had no idea that this building looked so lovely until my sister’s boyfriend came up to Newcastle to do a course there and we took him to the building.
The building is used now as the Culture Lab. Apparently the course was pretty good.
August 22, 2010 - Two picture Sunday - Grand Assembly Rooms
about Two picture Sunday - Grand Assembly Rooms ... posted by Beth
visits
since April 2006.
Beth,
Again you bring back memories with beautiful photos. Just fancy I get to 72 and never new it was called The Grand Assembly Rooms. You live and learn.
We always called it the ‘Old Ass’ and went dancing there every other Saturday, the other Saturday was the Oxford.
I still remember, the first dinner dance I went to at the Old Ass, first evening dress, red, straight with a slit to one knee. I was 18. The many happy nights at the Casino - no I did not gamble, friends did but I enjoyed the atmosphere. I often wondered what use the building had been turned into when they sold the gambling lisence to the new place by the Redheugh Bridge.
A conference centre and an education centre. Can’t be bad.
Whoops, Mrs.K, this is a different assembly rooms. The Old Assembly Rooms in Fenkle Street are still in the hands of the Michaelides family and operating as a banquetting and conference facility. The Grand Assembly Rooms featured here are part of the university buildings in King’s Walk. I must admit I never knew until now that they had a name despite walking past many times. Just goes to show we should always follow Beth’s instruction to look up.
Well Alf
That clears a lot up for me - I looked and looked at the photo as the front did seem a bit different to what I remembered. But then thought its me and my old memory playing me up. I have not been in Newcastle, except for the Centre for Life for more than three years. I hope one day to take a walk around it all again.
And go to King’s Walk and see the sister building for real.