Basic Site Details

Name: Good Templar Halls
Town, district or village: Paisley
City or county: Renfrewshire
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status: B listed
Grid ref:
Notes: A group of Good Templars' buildings were inaugurated at Paisley on Monday. They are Classic in style, are built of local stone, and consist of a main hall, 75ft. by 40ft. and 45ft. high, seating, inclusive of horse-shoe gallery, 1,000 persons; at the rear are two rooms, each seated for 100 persons, and beneath two smaller halls and several minor rooms. Messrs Rennison and Scott, of Paisley, are the architects, and Mr James Barclay, of Paisley, took the principal contract for building. The cost has been about £7,000. [Building News 25 March 1881 p347]

A cinema, the Royal Animated Pictures, was opened in 1910 on the upper floor of the halls. Seating on fixed wooden benches accommodated 612 in the stalls and 330 in the gallery. The licence also allowed another 140 people standing. This cinema, renamed the Glen, was the site of a disaster on 31 December 1929, when 71 children died after a call of "fire" resulted in a panic stampede.

The cinema never re-opened following the tragedy, and attempts were made to dispose of the building. 'Negotiations are understood to be taking place by the Good Templar Halls Committee and Paisley Town Council with a view to purchase the whole site at the Cross. A portion of the Good Templar Halls are leased as the Glen Cinema'. [Builder 30 May 1930, p1066]

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 3Alexandra Hall  
Item 2 of 3Glen Cinema  
Item 3 of 3Royal Animated Pictures  

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 3Cinema 1910 to 31 December 1929
Item 2 of 3Public hall Original Building
Item 3 of 3Shop Post 1930 mixed use including Burtons built across the former entrance

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 34, Dykes Wynd  
Item 2 of 3Gilmour Street  
Item 3 of 3The Cross  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 7March 1881 Opened 
Item 2 of 71910 Alteration/conversionUpper hall converted to cinema use
Item 3 of 71912 Alterations and additionsNew entrance formed towards Paisley Cross
Item 4 of 71928  Cinema refurbished
Item 5 of 731 December 1929 Closed71 children died after a call of "fire" resulted in a panic stampede. Cinema closed permanently
Item 6 of 71930s Alteration/conversionConverted to mixed use shops and offices
Item 7 of 71981  Interior renovation

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 4Andrew Robb Scott  1881  
Item 2 of 4John Albert Rennison  1881  
Item 3 of 4Rennison & Scott  1881  
Item 4 of 4James Donald  1910 Conversion of main hall to cinema

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 1Good Templars 

References

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Builder30 May 1930  p1066
Item 2 of 2Building News25 March 1881  p347 - opening

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 2Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register  
Item 2 of 2Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of ScotlandCanmoreID 198801