By Elliott West
Introduction
The Assembly Rooms in Derby are steeped in snooker history, a place that saw the birth of the now called tournament, the British Open. First conceived as the British Gold Cup in 1980 and won by Alex Higgins, the tournament was a non-ranking event until 1985, going through several name changes, becoming the Yamaha Organs Trophy and the International Masters before it finally assumed its now title. It was won in its first ranking year by Silvino Francisco, who defeated Kirk Stevens 12-9. The Assembly Rooms staged the tournament until 1994 when it moved to the Plymouth Pavilions and then various venues until it was eventually axed from the main tour in 2004.
The Assembly Rooms would go on to hold snooker tournaments behind its doors for several more years, hosting the 1994 Grand Prix and the 1998 and 1999 Charity Challenge. A snooker shadow that left but always remind of this great venue that was once lit up with snooker decorum and the buzz of bookmakers’ betting.
The Fire and Threats of Demolition
In 2014, the Assembly Rooms, a building that had first opened in 1977, was ravaged by a fire that started in its roof car park. A venue that had not only hosted snooker over its history but also some of the best music acts including The Clash, Paul Weller, the Manic Street Preachers and Morrissey who was hit in the eye by a flower after the fans invaded the stage during his performance in 1983. The Assembly Rooms was also used for the filming of the programme Come Dancing and was a regular host of pantomimes.
However, the fire caused the local council to threaten the building within a redevelopment plan, seeing the building as an architectural eyesore and wanting to hit it with a wrecking ball. The Labour-led council wanted to replace it with “some sort of cultural offer”, believing that it never served its purpose, being too big a building for the marketplace.
Despite this threat and dithering of what to replace it with, the building survived and was due to be refurbished instead but the plan was shelved due to spiralling costs. Now in 2021, the threat looms again with the council set to demolish the brutalist building, described as a concrete edifice, that was originally built by Casson, Conder and Partners.
Set in the medieval market square, the Assembly Rooms, is loved by the local community and architects alike, who believe that the building needs to be modernised but retained, feeling that its demolition would negatively impact both the environment and the city. Derby Country Council still has no long term plans post demolition but feels that in the short term, there should be a pop-up market for retail, food and drink events, outdoor markets and green space.
