I saw that on Youtube - looks like a bloke broke in with a camera, then made a film juxtaposing what it used to look like with what it looks like now; quite sad actually - I had my formative cinema experiences there and only realised later what an impact it had made on me. You just don't get the same at Cineworld, when you're eating your 5000% marked-up popcorn and having your brains melted by surround sound.

i've never really seen the need for wakey to have two stations in this day and age.

They're on different sides of the city and service different lines?

A little off the thread topic but it's gone this way so, for those interested in nostalgia.

The Wakefield Arms was the first building in the world built with portland cement hence it's listed status.It was also the home of the legendary Kalahari Bushmen and was a great night out.

Tony Costello was the long time landlord I believe, if I've got my memory in order he was a superb host and the pub was never the same after he'd gone!

Nowt wrong with your memory mate.

the problem with the wakefield arms was that the last landlord, couldnt make it pay. The overheads were too much. He'd ran several pubs over in cas/normanton and made them work however this pub was a place where very few people went, he tried various ways to get people thru the door. But in the end he was losing money so moved on and no other landlord was found so like so many of the pubs in wakefield it closed never to reopen.

Ordinary Portland Cement was developed by a bricklayer from Leeds called Joseph Aspdin and patented in 1824. His works where OPC was first produced was in Kirkgate, Wakefield so it would not have far to travel from the works to the Wakefield Arms.

It's off the beaten track now, with the way the lower end of Kirkgate has developed over the decades. You'd have to make it something really special for people to make the effort. Maybe, as Bren states, if the station is improved, there'd be a chance for the place. It's a nice building, and done up well, with good ale and good grub, could catch some trade from the Hepworth and rail commuters, as well as 13 afternoons/evenings for the Trin home games, of course.

With a proper 'Wakefield' theme to reflect it's proud name, the pub could be a real draw; locally produced beer and food, some decor redolent of Wakefield history and a tie-in with existing attractions - Bob is close to becoming your uncle.



As for the ABC - I've got some great memories from that place; I remember watching The Exorcist at midnight one Halloween, a Friday 13th all-nighter and of course, watching Star Wars for the first time and coming out a lifelong sic-fi geek. Happy days.

I remember the sat morning shows for kids at the ABC