London's beautiful boxing arena was KO'd by Hitler

[Alex]

'The prettiest open-air boxing arena in the world' was how Boxing (forerunner to today's Boxing News) described the Alcazar, Edmonton, a leading London fight arena of the 1920s and '30s devastated in 1940 by a Luftwaffe bomb.

Opened on 28 June 1913, the Alcazar was a cinema sited on the west side of Fore Street in Edmonton, almost opposite Fairfield Road and just a few yards north of Angel Road. The building was whitewashed and alcoved to look like a Moorish palace, and in the winter boxing was held in a large ballroom behind and adjoining it.

What made the venue exceptional, however, were the picturesque gardens behind the cinema. When the weather was warm fights were held outside in a ring that stood amid sloping grass banks, fruit trees in full bloom, flower beds and a stream. The ground was a sort of amphitheatre, bound by the stately trees in the gardens of the adjacent well-to-do houses that stretched to the railway line, which ran from Liverpool Street to Enfield Town.

On balmy summer evenings thousands sat in deckchairs or on grass around the ring; their sporadic yells rivalling the roar heard up the road at White Hart Lane whenever 'Spurs scored a goal. As daylight faded, the gardens were lit up by countless coloured fairy lamps, which gave the shows a special ambience. Outdoor fights were usually advertised with the proviso 'In Hall if Wet', but in the colder months all fights were held indoors.

Continue reading:

http://blog.boxinghistory.org.uk/2011/0 ... s-kod.html

[nobby_nobbins]

Very interesting reading. Never heard of this venue before.

[-KOKid-]

Good reading.
I was not aware of what happeded to the Alcazar, a true loss for British boxing.

I believe the legendary Ring arena at Blackfrias suffered the same fate as Alcazar.
That too was bombed to bits during WW2.
Everyone who was anyone in British boxing the early 1900s fought at The Ring at some point.
They sometimes did two shows on the same day there, one afternoon show and one evening show.
No shortage of work for boxers back then.

Speaking of old London venues - was it Premierland or Wonderland that burned down?
What happened to the one that didn't?

[bennie]

The Ring all but destroyed by a German bomb in 1941. The arena had to be demolished.

[Alex]

Good reading.
I was not aware of what happeded to the Alcazar, a true loss for British boxing.

I believe the legendary Ring arena at Blackfrias suffered the same fate as Alcazar.
That too was bombed to bits during WW2.
Everyone who was anyone in British boxing the early 1900s fought at The Ring at some point.
They sometimes did two shows on the same day there, one afternoon show and one evening show.
No shortage of work for boxers back then.

Speaking of old London venues - was it Premierland or Wonderland that burned down?
What happened to the one that didn't?

Cheers! You're right - The Ring was destroyed by a bomb. In fact it was partially wrecked by one bomb (only a wall was destroyed), then completely ruined when a second bomb hit it, as Bennie's picture shows. Great shame!

Another top London venue that suffered the same fate was the Holborn Stadium at High Holborn.

It was Wonderland that burnt down:

http://nipperpatdaly.co.uk/wonderland.html

[funso banjo baby]

very interesting stuff

however, they fail to mention who Greg Page's heroic opponent was at Picketts Lock Edmonton !!!!

this must be amended

[Alex]

What happened to the one that didn't?

Sorry, missed this.

Premierland, the one that didn't burn down, closed in October 1930 after its promoters, Berliner and Lyttlestone, lost the lease. Afterwards the building was used as a garage for many years. By the 1980s it was a disused warehouse, but it's since been bulldozed and redeveloped. A real pity when you consider its history and the great men who boxed beneath its roof.

I've written all about Premierland, Wonderland, The Ring, The Alcazar, the Holborn Stadium, the NSC and British boxing in general between the two World Wars in my book, if it's of interest:

http://nipperpatdaly.co.uk/nipperboxingbook.html

You can read the opening chapter for free here:

http://nipperpatdaly.co.uk/nipperboxingbook.html

[Alex]

very interesting stuff

however, they fail to mention who Greg Page's heroic opponent was at Picketts Lock Edmonton !!!!

this must be amended

Crikey! Was it you? Or are you a Funso Banjo fan?

[funso banjo baby]

very interesting stuff

however, they fail to mention who Greg Page's heroic opponent was at Picketts Lock Edmonton !!!!

this must be amended

Crikey! Was it you? Or are you a Funso Banjo fan?

8)

[bennie]

Funso stunk the joint out.

[-KOKid-]

What happened to the one that didn't?

Sorry, missed this.

Premierland, the one that didn't burn down, closed in October 1930 after its promoters, Berliner and Lyttlestone, lost the lease. Afterwards the building was used as a garage for many years. By the 1980s it was a disused warehouse, but it's since been bulldozed and redeveloped. A real pity when you consider its history and the great men who boxed beneath its roof.

I've written all about Premierland, Wonderland, The Ring, The Alcazar, the Holborn Stadium, the NSC and British boxing in general between the two World Wars in my book, if it's of interest:

http://nipperpatdaly.co.uk/nipperboxingbook.html

You can read the opening chapter for free here:

http://nipperpatdaly.co.uk/nipperboxingbook.html

Thanks, mate

Got Nipper book ready to read.
Will start as soon as I've worked my way through Battling Siki bio by Peter Benson.

Cheers.

[Alex]

What happened to the one that didn't?

Sorry, missed this.

Premierland, the one that didn't burn down, closed in October 1930 after its promoters, Berliner and Lyttlestone, lost the lease. Afterwards the building was used as a garage for many years. By the 1980s it was a disused warehouse, but it's since been bulldozed and redeveloped. A real pity when you consider its history and the great men who boxed beneath its roof.

I've written all about Premierland, Wonderland, The Ring, The Alcazar, the Holborn Stadium, the NSC and British boxing in general between the two World Wars in my book, if it's of interest:

http://nipperpatdaly.co.uk/nipperboxingbook.html

You can read the opening chapter for free here:

http://nipperpatdaly.co.uk/nipperboxingbook.html

Thanks, mate

Got Nipper book ready to read.
Will start as soon as I've worked my way through Battling Siki bio by Peter Benson.

Cheers.

Cheers! Hope you enjoy it. Let me know how you find it.

[funso banjo baby]

Funso stunk the joint out.