Kinema Ballroom was Dunfermline's first purpose-built dance hall

The information and photographs come from the excellent website www.kinemagigz.com, created by Dunfermline entertainment historian Colin Gourlay, that gives a comprehensive history of one of the more important venues in the history of live music performance in Scotland.

The original 'Kinema Ballroom' was Dunfermline's first ever purpose-built dance hall and had its main entrance at 19 Pilmuir Street.

Dunfermline's first ever purpose-built dance hall was where many couples first got together. It later played host to a range of stars from Elton John and Billy Connolly to Big Country and Nazareth. (Image: Supplied) Our first photograph shows this entrance which is still there today, though shuttered over.

The name Kinema came about because the owner's first venture was the nearby picture house in Pilmuir Street called ‘The Palace Kinema’.

A 'Grand Opening Carnival Dance' took place on Friday December 23, 1938 and patrons danced the night away to the sounds of 'Ernest Dobbie and his Swingtette Dance Band’ after Provost Hoggan performed the opening ceremony.'

Described in its early advertising variously as “The Dancer’s Mecca”, “The Rendezvous Of All Discerning Dancers”, “Fifeshire’s Super Dance Hall” and for five weeks in January and February 1939 as “The Kinema Super Ballroom”, patrons were invited to “Follow The Dancers” and most famously to “Dance And Be Gay The KB Way” long before the more familiar contemporary use of that word.

In 1964 the ballroom was extended and the capacity extended to 1,000. Pictured are some of the staff who worked there around that time. (Image: Supplied) The Kinema Ballroom was closed on Saturday December 30, 1939 and re-opened on Wednesday July 30, 1941.

During this time it was used to billet soldiers from some Scottish regiments while some Polish soldiers were billeted at the Carnegie Women's Institute on the opposite side of Pilmuir Street.

The then manager, Mr George Hylands, was quite concerned about the soldiers stomping around on the new sprung floor that had been installed and had it protected by a linoleum floor covering.

By the early sixties it became clear that a much larger facility was required, so in 1964 its capacity was quadrupled to more than 1,000 with the building of a large extension to the north, including a two-storey frontage on Carnegie Street (now Carnegie Drive).

After Night Magic, the award-winning discotheque became Hollywood Boulevard in 1988. It played host to the TV show The Hitman and Her. (Image: Supplied) It soon became one of Scotland's most important live music venues. Our next photograph shows some of the staff in the 1960s.

In 1980 it became one of the most innovative and award-winning discotheques in Europe as 'Night Magic' and then in 1988 it was remodelled as ‘Hollywood Boulevard’ as seen in our next image.

In 2007 the name changed again to ‘Velocity’ and the frontage can be seen in our final photograph.

The last incarnation as a nightclub, the premises became Velocity in 2007 but it closed in 2009. It re-opened as a 'world buffet-style' restaurant in December 2018 but it was shut at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. (Image: Supplied)

A huge number of artists and bands performed in the Ballroom over the years including The Average White Band, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen, The Bay City Rollers, Nazareth, Big Country and The Skids, David Bowie, Boy George, The Clash, Billy Connolly, Elvis Costello, The Kinks, The Moody Blues, Cliff Richard, Sandie Shaw, Supertramp and Elton John.

More photographs like these can be seen in Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries as well as at facebook.com/olddunfermline With thanks to Frank Connelly