When grandfather Tommaso Mazzotta spotted his younger self in an archive photo, memories of his time atop an iconic landmark came flooding back 

 

THE years melted away for father-of-four Tommaso Mazzotta when he opened a copy of the Adver and saw a photograph of himself 57 years ago – in the process of tearing down one of the town’s most prominent buildings.

The Swindon grandfather, now 77, was a 20-year-old labourer when he was part of a demolition team with a head for heights who spent months on top of The Empire Theatre in 1959.

Our feature on January 13 focused on some of Swindon’s best known structures that have been flattened over the decades, from McIlroys department store and the redbrick market to the Baptist Tabernacle and The Hermitage in the Lawns.

Among the best loved of the lot was The Empire, located at the junction of Victoria Road and Groundwell Road which was pulled down following the closure of the theatre four years earlier after serving Swindonians for 57 years.

Our stunning black and white photograph, taken from The Empire’s roof shortly after the demolition boys moved in, showed four men removing the slates from the Renaissance style, redbrick structure.

Such a photograph could not be taken today – health and safety regulations have long since insisted on the use of hard hats.

Tommaso, who is on the far right, said: “I remember it well. It took ages to take The Empire Theatre down. It was a long job, I can’t remember exactly how long we were there for, but it was months and months.

“I was quite sad at the time because my dad liked going there.”

Gazing at the photo, he went on: “We had a good view of Swindon up there, although it’s changed a lot now. I didn’t mind working on high buildings back then – I couldn’t do it now though.” Tommaso was working as a labourer for a company run by the man pictured in the foreground wearing a hat and with a cigarette poking from his mouth while taking a hammer to the 19th Century auditorium.

“He was Scottish so we all called him Jock. I can’t remember his proper name or the company… so long ago.”

After the grand old lady finally disappeared in a cloud of redbrick Swindon dust, Tommaso stayed on site to build an office block called Empire House which is still there today.

He said: “It was a shame to knock it (The Empire) down really. It was a much nicer building than the one we put up in its place.”

Tommaso, who has three grandchildren, worked as a labourer for several years before spending most of his working life as a panel beater at Thamesdown Transport.

Today he helps out at the restaurant run by his sons Enzo and Ricky – Fratellos in Regent Circus, right across the road from the site of the old Empire Theatre.