Hyde’s Century Old Astoria Cinema Demolished After Devastating Fire

The old Astoria in Hyde burned badly this week. It was a cinema and bingo hall in Tameside. The building sat empty on Clarendon Street since 2009. The fire sent wreckage onto the roads Monday night.

Firefighters worked for hours to put out the fire. They stayed there almost 24 hours. Then, they gave the site to Tameside Council Tuesday. Officials do not yet know what started the fire.

The building’s condition prevents investigation right now. The local council said the remains are dangerous, ordering quick demolition yesterday. Pictures show diggers tearing the building down today, with demolition expected to end by the weekend.

Tameside Council ordered the building torn down. Hyde bus station faces the building and is closed until the work finishes. Transport for Greater Manchester prioritizes safety, preventing the station’s reopening until the site is safe.

They are working with Tameside Council to reopen it soon. Many bus routes begin and end near Hyde town hall now. A lane of the M67 westbound will close as a precaution. This is between junctions 3 and 2 towards Denton Island.

It began as Star Picture House cinema in 1914. It became the Scala in the 1920s. People renamed it Astoria in the 1950s. It changed to a bingo hall in the next decade.