For many people the distinctive Budgens on London Road, at the busy junction with Boston Road, will hold fond memories of its previous incarnations as various nightclubs, a popular ballroom and for older readers maybe even its origins as a cinema. Others will have passed by wondering why a small supermarket is housed behind such a unique and stylish frontage, with its elegant Chinese pagoda-inspired entrance.
We’ve delved into the archives to take you on a trip back in time through the building’s fascinating history, from how it started life in 1914 as a cinema to the numerous clubs which have hosted unforgettable nights out for thousands of revellers, right up to its modern use as a supermarket. Its many lives even include a short spell as a Marks & Spencer store.
Depending on your age and musical taste, you may know the building best as Lansdowne Picture Palace, Kingdom, the Locarno, Vickers, Tiffany's, Mecca, The Palais, The Music Factory or Bed. Or for those with a shorter memory and anyone who’s less of a clubber, you may think of it simply as the old Sainsbury’s. Whatever your recollections, you should find something to appreciate in these photos of the unique building and the fun times it hosted, taking you from the present day back to the early 20th century.
13. Good times
Revellers at the re-opening of the Music Factory on London Road, Sheffield Photo: Paul Ibberson
14. Big night out
More revellers at the re-opening of the Music Factory on London Road, Sheffield Photo: Paul Ibberson
15. The Locarno reborn
The Locarno was one of several nightclubs which opened at the former Locarno ballroom - from which it took its name - on London Road, Sheffield, between the 1970s and 1990s Photo: unknown
16. Palais nightclub
The Palais was one of the many different nightclubs opening between the 1970s and 1990s at the former Locarno ballroom on London Road, Sheffield Photo: Peter Tuffrey