Derbyshire, UK
Places of Interest Town
Rutland Mills
The following is a small accounts of paranormal happenings, backed by employers of A4E who occupy one area.
Rutland Mills
Ilkeston: Sudbury’s Factory — Market Street
A substantial late 19th century three storey brick built hosiery factory on the east side of Market Street, erected for C and F Sudbury and later used by Rutland Garments. The two storey building to the rear may be of an earlier date.
The building has now been converted into offices and a club.
Paranormal Activity includes.
- Apparitions
- knocking, footsteps and sounds of doors opening and closing
- Inteligent Haunting - Spirits responding to Questions
- Child play - laughter, running
- Old man passing through
- Various mention of a darker, dominant spirit - feelings
Church Institute
The following is created
The Church institute was designed by Henry James Kilford who was the Surveyor to the Local Board and later to the Borough Council. It was opened in 1884 and was built in red brick with stone dressings to the front elevation. The words 'Church Institute' are highlighted in terracotta lettering on the side wall in Market Street. Inside the main entrance porch there is a memorial tablet to nine members who died in the First World War and three who died in the Second.
Now includes
The Corner Cafe
Various reportings of noises and shadows, also footsteps.
The Sewing Shop
Again Various reports of shadows, moving objects and noises.
The Ritz and Co-op
The stories relating to these two buildings came from multiple ladies who frequented the Ritz as cinema and worked at the co-op throughout the past 30 years. In the Ritz, they tell of a moving smell much like the one on the library. On maps of the 1800's it's possible to see this land used as Mill land, either housing for workers or machinery. The story of the ghosts of co-op – affectingly known as Mary who haunts the cellars.
Brecon Bingo Hall
Full details and information coming soon.
The Ritz Cinema was built for the independent exhibitors; Ritz (Ilkeston) Ltd. and was designed in a modern Art Deco style by the Nottingham based architect Reginald W.G. Cooper (his seventh cinema design project). It opened on 20th May 1938 with Barbara Stanwick in "Stella Dallas" and British film star Victor McLaglen was guest of honor (invited by his nephew J.V. McLaglen who was the first manager of the Ritz Cinema).
The cinema had a very distinctive style that was very similar to the Odeon theatres which were being built at that time. There was a slender fin-tower feature and the main facade was covered with a light biscuit coloured Doulton ‘carraware’ tiles. Seating in the auditorium was provided for 922 in the stalls and 480 in the circle. Unfortunately in later years the rather narrow proscenium did not adapt well for screening CinemaScope films and the top masking had to be lowered to give the wide screen effect.
The Ritz Cinema was operated by the S. Graham Circuit of Nottingham for most of its life and was closed on 8th June 1958 with a re-issue presentation of Vincent Price in "House of Wax". It was converted into a bingo club, which remains today, independently operated. The Ritz is a Grade II Listed building.
Paranormal Activity includes.
- Apparition of past owners/users
- knocking, footsteps and sounds of doors opening and cleaning
- Land Haunting from spirits of land before the Ritz
- Angry spirit near bar.