Dorking Halls
The Dorking Halls has been the subject of a couple of posts since Boy George performed there this week. Ken Dodd was also mentioned and yes, he is indeed still alive and by all accounts still keeps up his tradition of performing beyond his advetised time slot.
Anyway, I feel The Dorking Halls has been totally turned around since its refurbishment a few years back where then the best thing available was a Juice Bar Disco or some jazz band. Now we can see the latest films and some top line acts.
When you drive into Dorking, one of the first things you see are the halls and since the redevelopment it looks vibrant and exciting - which is what this town needs. It is one of the best things that has happened to the Dorking in recent years.
posted by The Cockerel @ 8:08 PM
16 Comments:
Indeed coming in from the East Dorking Halls is the first thing you see, it's a pity it goes downhill from there!
Looks like the latest casualty of the credit crunch is Venture Photography which was next to the Halifax. Everything has been cleared out and the unit sits empty and there is a sign on the door stating if you have any enquiries to contact the Kingston branch. Looked at their website and it does not look like it has fallen into financial difficulties. They have lots of portrait studios across the UK. With the proposed merger of Lloyds TSB and Halifax (HBOS), there could be another empty unit right next door in the very near future. Also noticed that another 'independent' shoe/boutique shop is opening in West Street in the very near future in the ex-Bonita/Manuka unit.
Leatherhead Lip
Venture has sat empty for many weeks now. The prices they charged were completely over the top and the lack of customer service was a major problem at the Dorking branch. I am very surprised that they did not disappear many, many months ago. Agree that the eastern end of the town is looking very shabby apart from the sports centre and Dorking Halls. The former Harley Davidson dealership still remains empty and looks a real eyesore at present. Thought there were some very ambitious plans for flats and revamping the retail unit. I guess that these plans have been put on hold for the forseeable future. ~AP~
I heard that a grouop of people applied to turn Harley into a nightclub, but it was blocked by the Nimby brigade.
What is the point of more luxury flats in a credit crunch anyway - who can afford them ! If shops are going out of business what they should be doing is building affordable housing - and £100,000 is not affordable !
The cinema at Dorking Halls is excellent value for money especially on a Monday night when tickets are priced at £3.50 each. Otherwise the rest of the week they are priced at £5.80. In comparison the Epsom Odeon charges £8.00 for a standard adult ticket and £9.00 for an adult premier seat. I know that the cinema in Epsom offers a wider range of films and the sound is fractionally better but think of all the money you can save by going to the cinema in Dorking. There is no need to worry about transport costs and the concession stands at Dorking Halls are not a rip like the Odeon chain. Also the Scoop (ice cream parlour) has exceptional ice cream, does good panini's, coffees and teas, sweets etc. One last thing, in the past it would take an age for a blockbuster film to come to Dorking. Now, the all the latest blockbusters are on show the same week they are released. Jo
Sorry to disappoint u m8 but Boy George is performing @ the Fairfield Halls in Croydon next week. Was quite amused to hear the posts about how vibrant your theatre is in Dorking. Looking at the shows scheduled b4 xmas the only one i could excited about was Basil Brush...;) As for ur cinema...it only has ONE screen and ONLY offers two showings a day. My gawd. Carly fm Croydon
Yes, but I'd rather live in Dorking in Croydon!
I live in Redhill, well it's a dirty job and someone has to :O) and I am always envious of the quality of entertainment offered at Dorking Halls, would that the Harlequin could come close. My only complaint about the place is their outrageous bar prices, it's enough to make me sober up :O)
Let us not blame everything on the credit crunch. Dorking needs to change, it is supposed to be a vibrant market town...
The market is hidden away on a draughty parking lot, we have trouble with "having to pay before you park", trouble with queues coming into and out of Dorking, huge amount of empty shops and officals who say: "everything is fine.
Well said Jo, think positive - this site (and town) has too many who do the opposite !
thinking alone does not help, we need positive action
I cannot believe there is actually a comment from a person who hails from Croydon and is comparing the Dorking Halls to Croydon's Farifield Hall. Having had the misfortune to go to school in Croydon, I am so pleased that I saw the light and moved further out to the wonderful town of Dorking. Croydon is a big bad city, is overcrowded, dirty and the nightlife can be very dangerous ie. stabbings, shootings and murders. Comparing Croydon to Dorking is like comparing chalk to cheese. I also agree with Sonja's comments above as well. Dorking should be a thriving market town. It is very sad to see its demise and even in the 'good economic times' it was struggling as shops were still closing at an alarming rate. Dorking needs a sense of direction and that brings me onto the point - whatever became of the Dorking Needs Action (DNA) group? A lot of things were promised from this group and they were keen to make some major improvements within the town and promote it to the wider population. Town centre management seems to also have disappeared without a trace. I am even sure in this times of economic gloom, there are retailers who would like to open up in Dorking. Dorking is very well situated, not too far from London and nestles in the green belt, close to the M25 and the major airports but, has been going backwards for far too long at the expense of our nearest neighbours which are Reigate, Horsham, Guildford and Epsom. Finally, there is one good thing about Croydon and that is the abundance of shops. Saying that it does have a shopping centre that resembles St Martin's Walk! As for the farmers market, it seems to be getting smaller month by month and the location of the market definitely does not help! Jo
Jo, How about working in conjunction with the council and town centre management to promote the town and create a strategy will push the town the forward into the 21st century? Sadly I fear that you are a little confrontational for their liking. Any news on the empty shop units that litter the town - are any of them under offer, soon to be let or as many of us fear, there are simply no takers for any of them?
:(
After years of uncertainity, the plans to build a waste incinerator have been APPROVED by the county council's (Surrey) planning committee. The site is at Clockhouse Brickworks, on the A24 at Capel. This piece has been taken from the BBC news website under Surrey news. If you want to read more about it, check out the BBC news website or the Surrey Advertiser website. Very bad news in my opinion. :(
Today I was startled to see how the Farmers' Market has shrunk. It looks as if it can't last long. But why does it work in other towns? Another loss for Dorking?
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