An abandoned building in Oldham town centre appears to be brimming with local history as an urban explorer uncovered some of its forgotten relics, including props, scripts and tickets from the former Oldham Coliseum.
Temperance Hall on Horsedge Street was rebuilt in 1952 to replace the historic building on the site, which signage suggests was first erected in Oldham in 1852.
While the derelict building has been earmarked for demolition for some time, an urban explorer who goes by the name Exploring with Jake ventured into the old hall in December last year.
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'Jake' and his team uncovered dozens of gems while inside, which hark back to the hall's rich history and its links as a storage unit for theatre props and costumes.
Walking through the basement, the explorers found "beautiful" old barrels, grand fireplaces and wooden school desks.
They also found an old television set which they described as "next level" and an "unbelievable" discovery.
Inside another room was an old couch with a stunning pattern embroidered into the leather and a large wooden vanity mirror.
The explorer added: "There is beautiful architecture and beautiful woodwork all over.
"Crazy.
"It's really old in this building."
A larger storage room also unearthed a broken piano, dozens of paint tins and other antiques.
Meanwhile, one room appears to be stashed with Oldham Coliseum props, costumes and scripts.
A stack of tickets left cast across a table are also visibly labelled Oldham Coliseum and refer to the production, See How They Run!, though no year can be seen.
However, a poster shows another performance, Men Should Weep by Ena Lamont Stewart, was held at the theatre in November 2005.
Other stubs show revellers paid just £7.50 for a night at the popular Fairbottom Street theatre.
The urban explorers also stumbled across a script of a one-act play by Leesa Royle, a 16-year-old schoolgirl from Hulme Grammar School for Girls Oldham.
The play was called 'Mixed Blessings'.
Signs which once belonged to the beloved theatre were also found, labelling the balcony, circle door and rows of seats.
A resident identified one black and white photograph of a woman to be Sue Jenkins, writing on social media that he remembers seeing her and her husband, David Fleeshman, in "many plays when Kenneth Alan Taylor came in to reopen the theatre".
A huge red and yellow light-up sign for a popular family resort, Butlin's, was also discovered in another room.
Temperance Hall was reportedly due to be demolished sometime in 2020 after council bosses declared the asset a "blight on the area".
The then-deputy chief executive of Oldham Council, Helen Lockwood, said the council had owned the building since the 1960s and at the time was being used by Oldham Coliseum.
The theatre company used the hall, rent-free, to store its props, costumes and equipment, but its "deteriorating" condition allegedly ruled out the possibility of selling or repairing it.
Ms Lockwood said at the time: “Maintaining the building would also be too expensive.
“Once it’s been demolished we’ll look at regeneration options that fit with our plans for the town centre.”
Reacting to Exploring with Jake's video on social media, many people said some of the items in the building "need saving".
A man wrote: "I would love to save that furniture" while a woman said: "Oldham has a lot of history."
Another also expressed his disappointment in seeing the building fall wayside.
He wrote: "It's a disgrace how this building has been allowed to rot.
"If this great building was standing in London, it would still be in use.
"So sad."
The current Oldham Coliseum building on Fairbottom Street also stands vacant and boarded up after the theatre closed its doors for good in March last year.
However, residents haven't given up hope in saving the 138-year-old building and preserving its legacy for the town.
Last year, campaigners took to the streets of Oldham and staged a 'panto flash mob' to protest what they describe as its premature closure and a huge loss to the town's performing arts and culture.
Members of the Save Oldham Coliseum Theatre community group also said the footage of Temperance Hall was "astounding" with one woman revealing her mother used the building when she was a set designer at the Coliseum.
Natasha Stott said the hall was used for carpentry in the 1980s and 1990s to build the sets and spent "much of my childhood in this building".
"I loved the smell of wood/woodwork ever since. Still takes me back", she added.
Donald Potter also said he worked in 'the Temp' in the 1960s when he obtained his first theatre job as an assistant designer for five years.
Mr Potter said: "It was used for making and painting sets, very cold, very exciting.
"The house next door was a props store. The best years of my life.
"I learnt so much within those damp walls."
"It was a weekly rep in those days.
"Goodness knows how it was all put together in a week", he recalled.
Another member of the group asked: "Why is there so little value placed on our history?"
Oldham Council has been approached for comment for an update on the building's future.
If you have a story, I cover all things Oldham from food reviews and local business news to music and events, pubs, education, crime, property, health, community concerns and much more. Please email me at Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk or send me a message on Twitter @Livbridge with your news.
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