1873 - The Beginning
The original Albert Hall served as the heart of the Town’s cultural life for over 100 years, hosting hundreds of concerts, shows, bazaars, exhibitions, and other events, playing host to figures as diverse as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the Lancashire contralto, Kathleen Ferrier.
1981 - The Early Years
On 14 November 1981 a devastating fire took hold of the Albert Hall. The Fire Service fought a long battle to contain the blaze, saving the rest of the Town Hall from total disaster. The walls of the Albert Hall retained their structural integrity but the roof collapsed and almost all of the plasterwork and fittings, including the Grand Organ, were completely destroyed.
Traumatic though it was, the damage to the building could have been a great deal worse and in some ways proved to be a blessing in disguise. Given the shortcomings of the old Hall it was decided not to restore it to its earlier state, but to create two new, complementary venues in the old space – the smaller, intimate Festival Hall on the lower level and a new, more adaptable (and acoustically pleasing) Albert Hall above.