THE National Lottery funded restoration of the Globe is progressing well and some interesting finds are being made along the way.
Among the intriguing discoveries are the original 1935 pulley system located at the top of the Globe fly tower, CCT silhouette lights, bingo memorabilia and even vintage make-up!
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Arts, Leisure and Culture, Councillor Norma Wilburn, said: “The Globe’s history is fascinating and it is wonderful that we are able to unearth more and more of it as the restoration takes place.
“What is even more pleasing is the number of people who are coming forward through the Globe’s Facebook page to tell us all about their memories of the Globe. It is great to hear from everyone and I urge anyone with an interest in the Globe to join the conversation and follow its journey on Facebook.”
Since it was announced in July that the Globe will be brought back as a 3,000 capacity live entertainment venue, a huge amount of scaffold has been erected throughout the grade II listed building to allow significant work to take place.
Stockton based asbestos removal specialist MDS subcontracted J Mac Scaffolding Ltd to undertake the job of constructing the massive scaffold structure to allow MDS to carry out environmental cleaning, incorporating asbestos removal from the ceiling, fly tower and roof void.
Dave Waites from MDS said: “The Globe is an amazing building and it is fantastic to be able to play a part in bringing it back into use.
“Although the scale of the asbestos removal required has made this one of the most complex jobs we have worked on within the Borough, it is also hugely rewarding to see the restoration project progress.”
Meanwhile the roof has been made watertight and all the necessary surveys, investigations and cataloguing of the historic parts of the building still in situ are taking place.
Detailed design works are continuing to ensure the Globe can accommodate today’s music and comedy acts while also preserving its art-deco heritage and great care is being taken to remove and store for potential future use many historic parts of the building such as the windows at the front and the internal doors. Mouldings have been taken of the ornate ceiling details so that new profiles can be cast as part of the restoration.
The bingo flat floor has also been removed so the structure beneath it can be examined and various holes have been made in the building’s structure to access the location and condition of steel columns and beams.
The restoration of the Globe is being funded by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and a National Lottery grant through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)’s Heritage Enterprise scheme.
To follow the Globe’s restoration journey visit www.facebook.com/TheGlobeStockton