sound of the underground Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Dandara have sent in Men in White Suits..... ....who have started working at the Old Court House - taking in a significant quantity of concrete blocks. It must be very contaminated in that building if tehy have still have to wear protective suits - wouldn't it be usual to de-contaminate an area first before you are allowed to start building work? I am glad to see that they are taking the health and safety of their workforce seriously. Its probably to protect them from the pigeon guano whilst they clean the place out. Either way I am very glad to see something happening at this place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamplemousse Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Probably one of the most magnificent buildings on that street is the Isle of Man bank. Great exterior and the interior is equally impressive. Although about 8 years ago there was an application to knock it down. Doubtless the Court House will be knocked down. The builder's architects will design a new building that will be very modular and tacky. £££profit to sq.metre ratio to be high as can be. They will put a couple of token features such as silly mouldings to 'reflect' the previous building. The planners go for this every time. Just look at some of the new flats on the Promenade. I would rather something with pure modern originality than a revolting poor quality pastiche of what was there before. Well said nipper. What little we have of architectural value on the Island is or has been bulldozed or bastardised. But it's ok, because they've put Celtic knotwork on the bus shelters and the dustbins to remind us of our heritage. Bunch of faithless dummies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcCann Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 I see there has been a fire at the court house. I am shocked I never ever ever expected such a building to catch light. Last time I was this shocked was when it got dark at night Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebees Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share Posted April 10, 2007 Has there really been a fire? or are you being naughty Mr McCann? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcCann Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 There has been a fire. The road at the side is closed, one of the windows has gone with lots of black soot going up the wall and there was a strong smell of burnt wood as I drove past yesterday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebees Posted April 10, 2007 Author Share Posted April 10, 2007 Awe I dont believe it. I suppose this one will be down to "one of the great mysteries of the Isle of Mans development potential" too. This needs investigating - magestic...up in smoke, the chinese on the promenade....up in smoke - both made into luxury appartments. Say I didnt want my garage (if I had one) and I couldnt get planning to let me knock it down, what would then happen if it went on fire? if it was not safe would the health and safety people tell me to pull it down? then I could build a luxury granny flat , where as, I should be fined for letting it go on fire and made to rebuild it to its previous state and then the government should take it off me for being so careless... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheJudge Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Say I didnt want my garage (if I had one) and I couldnt get planning to let me knock it down, what would then happen if it went on fire? = You'd probably get arrested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 IomToday The redevelopment of the former courthouse in Athol Street, Douglas, is imminent, it has been confirmed. It is more than a decade since the last defendant left the dock following the opening of the new £11 million courthouse and general registry in Deemsters Walk in 1996. The landmark Athol Street building, built as a meeting place for the Oddfellows in the 1840s, has lain empty for many years. But now it is set to be turned into a bar, coffee shop and office complex. Under the redevelopment, the ground floor Athol Street level will feature a bar, restaurant, club and coffee shop with offices on the upper three floors and basement car parking. The new building is scheduled for completion in September 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckett Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 IomToday The redevelopment of the former courthouse in Athol Street, Douglas, is imminent, it has been confirmed. It is more than a decade since the last defendant left the dock following the opening of the new £11 million courthouse and general registry in Deemsters Walk in 1996. The landmark Athol Street building, built as a meeting place for the Oddfellows in the 1840s, has lain empty for many years. But now it is set to be turned into a bar, coffee shop and office complex. Under the redevelopment, the ground floor Athol Street level will feature a bar, restaurant, club and coffee shop with offices on the upper three floors and basement car parking. The new building is scheduled for completion in September 2008. Sod the old Courthouse - when are they going to repaint the 'new' one?! Seriously though, hope they do get it done, a new coffee shop/bar/resturant would be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amadeus Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 There has been a fire. The road at the side is closed, one of the windows has gone with lots of black soot going up the wall and there was a strong smell of burnt wood as I drove past yesterday I dont think there was a fire, tbh - the side road was closed for them Instituform drainage people to do their thing, and they had a lorry parked there with the engine running for two or three days - the black soot is where the exhaust was pointed during that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Coffee shops are like busses, one second there's none, then two come along. I'll bet the Java lounge folks are pretty naffed off that there's going to be a coffee shop right next to their new place at the old black grace cowley shop eh? According to the independant its not HH that's doing the work, they sold the place on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebees Posted April 12, 2007 Author Share Posted April 12, 2007 Oh thats great, glad there hasnt been a fire. Sounds nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La_Dolce_Vita Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 I think it is too late to worry about all these old buildings. Most of the best have gone. Douglas is an ugly town in my opinion. Too many office buildings of all types of design. The worst has to be Barclays Bank in Victoria Street and that building that replaced the Regal Cinema. It is weird seeing old photographs of Douglas when the place had charm and character and then knowing what Douglas is now. It may sound all whingey but whereas you can look at old photographs of the Palace, Derby Castle, the old guesthouese, and other quaint spot in Douglas and see that they were nice buildings do you think people in 50 years time will look at Marks and Spencers or Victory House (Prospect Hill) and marvel at the beauty. I doubt it. Douglas is ugly. Sad about Courts as that building has centred upon so much of the Island's recent political and judicial history. Seems very typical for the Isle of Man to turn the place into a yuppie coffee spot for those on Atholl Street though I would suppose anybody would be hard pushed to do much more with the building other than turn it into offices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wright Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Oddfellows Hall, theatre, election polling station and the spot where Douglas results used to be announced on the balcony. A fine facade but a warren in the back where the old police headquarters used to be. The courts ill designed, poor accoustics and always the cooing of pigeons, cold in winter and roasting in summer. And what about the things we don't want to remember about, the place where little boys were birched in breach of the 1921 Crim Justice Act wich said they couldn't be until the 21 day appeal period had expired, but it was done downstairs 5 minutes after sentence. What about the warren of small top floor rooms above the court which for yeras served as our juvenile detentiaon facility, no fresh air, no where to exercise! Cells with no windows at all in the bowels. The police station ops room with a fire, a kettle and a place to chat. All the staions had fires, Ramsey was last to go. Falling ceilings, penetrating damp, cramped, smelly I am glad to see it go, changed into anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckett Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 I think it is too late to worry about all these old buildings. Most of the best have gone. Douglas is an ugly town in my opinion. Too many office buildings of all types of design. The worst has to be Barclays Bank in Victoria Street and that building that replaced the Regal Cinema. It is weird seeing old photographs of Douglas when the place had charm and character and then knowing what Douglas is now. It may sound all whingey but whereas you can look at old photographs of the Palace, Derby Castle, the old guesthouese, and other quaint spot in Douglas and see that they were nice buildings do you think people in 50 years time will look at Marks and Spencers or Victory House (Prospect Hill) and marvel at the beauty. I doubt it. Douglas is ugly. Sad about Courts as that building has centred upon so much of the Island's recent political and judicial history. Seems very typical for the Isle of Man to turn the place into a yuppie coffee spot for those on Atholl Street though I would suppose anybody would be hard pushed to do much more with the building other than turn it into offices. Douglas is pretty awful, but shite gets thrown up during economic decline, and when the recovery starts, and all the architecture is shite, its easy to gert planning permission to throw more of the same up! There was also an oil spill outside the Court House at lunch time - a site of many an exciting news event as ever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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