Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Cinemas

A couple of days ago I came up & did a little project. One of the jobs I had after I left school in 1952 was as a cinema projectionist. The two cinemas I worked at were the Ritz which was on Conway St., where there's a car park now, next to Argos, & the Plaza in Borough Rd. I didn't go to the site of the Ritz, but visited several others & took pics.
The Ritz was opened by Gracie Fields in 1937, the year I was born. It closed in 1969.
These weren't the only cinemas in town, but they were the main ones. The Ritz & Plaza had Wurlitzer organs, which rose from a pit & were played during the interval.
At that time, the programme would consist of the main feature, a second short feature (what we in the trade called a 2 reeler) & a newsreel & trailers for forthcoming films. The programme always finished with playing of "God Save the King" & it was very rude not to stand for this, or to leave before it finished.
While I was at the Plaza, we were converted for Cinemascope, with a wide screen & extra lenses, called Anamorphics, to expand the film, which was standard 35mm. but had been compressed during filming. These lenses were swung in front of the standard lens when a Cinemascope film was shown. Surround sound too!!
There was quite a skill in maintaining correct illumination on the screen. The light source was carbon arc & you had to keep the carbons correcty adjusted, or the screen would go brown on one side & blue on the other.

I didn't know what is now a furniture shop, which used to be roller world on Park Rd. East used to be a cinema.

And I've only just noticed that it is similar in style to what is now rileys in Argyle St.

Thanks for sharing

what sort of films were showing?

Some excellent information there Chris!

When did u them pics?
Is Rileys offering free memberships?

Very first line Pomp:

What about the wallasey based picture houses Chris?

good work. didnt know about the bebington ones.

WOW you have just save a chunk of History there Chris,
I wouldn't have known any of them.

Love the little snippet
I didn't know that either.

Where there is buildings left you can see that they "Could" have been cinema's, obvious when you know.

How things have changed

Never went to Wallasey much. The only one I remember was the Continental, which showed esoteric stuff, like opera. You used to be able to order coffee & they would bring it to you during the interval.

Everything. all the latest Hollywood offerings & British 'stiff upper lip' films. I remember the first Cinemascope film I showed at the Plaza was "The Robe". Frank Sinatra was making a lot of films at the time; I remember "Young at Heart" with him & Doris Day.
As far as style is concerned, it was all of its time; late Art Deco mostly & a common theme ran through all the chains.

(I've just been reminded, from another source entirely, that the Regal in Bebington later became part ot the Essoldo chain, but I don't suppose any of you youngsters will remember that)!!

Stop press. Just watching "Dr. Strangelove" on ITV3. Has one of the best lines ever; "gentlemen, gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the war room"

My dads friend mally's ex girlfriends dad and mum used to be the projectionist in Argyle street (used to be called ABC Cinema when they where projectionists) i'll have to ask them if they have some photos of the inside of the cinema and out. Be nice to see how it use to look etc..

Yeh that would be amazing.

lol chris quote

Where the bingo hall in Moreton is, that used to be a picture house. Ill see if I can get some photos of it sometime.

My mum used to tell me when I was a kid what it was like in there, so I will see if I can get any info outta her lol.

The building that is centred:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=moreton+wirral&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGIH&um=1&sa=N&tab=wl

Yes, I remember now that it was the ABC after the Savoy.

Ok bit of research done, thanks to http://cinematreasures.org. no pics tho sorry, maybe If I get chance I will go out and get some of the old buildings or sites.

a few Wallasey Cinemas:

Lyceum Electric Palace Cinema/The Gaumont Palace/Unit 4 Cinemas/Apollo 6 Cinemas
Located on King street in egremont (near wallasey town hall)
The Gaumont Palace opened on 13th November 1933. It replaced the earlier Lyceum Electric Palace Cinema (1910-1931) which had been destroyed by fire.

Seating arrangements for the new Gaumont Palace was designed on a stadium plan, with a raised section at the rear instead of an overhanging circle. The auditorium walls were lined with silk tapestry and lighting was via a series of lamps hung from decorative poles attached at an angle to the walls and a series Art Deco style lay-lights in the ceiling.

The theatre was built in a quiet corner of town away from the main centre. It was taken over by Classic Cinemas from 12th December 1967 and re-named Classic Cinema. Bingo was tried briefly in 1969, but films returned and in September 1974 it was taken over by Unit 4 Cinemas who divided the auditorium into four screens in 1975. In 1979 two additional screens were installed by dividing what had been the rear raised section into three screens. Taken over by Apollo Leisure it was re-named Apollo 6 Cinemas and these continued to operate until closure came in 2000. The building was left empty until 2005 when it was demolished and a block of flats built on the site.

It was a forgotten beautiful building even at the end but the developers got hold of it. It still had a lot of its original features on its exterior and apparently some remaining inside when it was converted to 6 screens, as a shell was put into the building. The decorative stone carved panels on the front of the building by artist Frank Barnes were saved intact from the demolishers.

The Phoenix was in wallasey village opposite the junction of Sandy Lane, Wirral Villa's is now built on the old site.

The Capitol was an ABC cinema and was based in Liscard, on the junction of seview road and the liscard centre one way ring. there was a roundabout at this junction before the lights and the one was system.

The Liscard Palace Cinema was a short walk along Seaview Road from the Capitol.
Opened in 1911 as the Liscard Electric Palace in Seaview Road, Wallasey, proved to be one of the area's finest and most popular venues for film entertainment.

The cinema continued to draw crowds right into the 1950s when, as with most UK cinemas, it eventually fell victim to the falling number of cinema-goers.

The Liscard Palace Cinema eventually closed in June of 1959. The building later became a supermarket (Lennons) and then a shoe shop (Shoemarket), which remains to this date.

so good info matey

I remember the old Apollo Cinema.

It was the first ever cinema I went to, and I think I was taken to see beauty and the beast in 1991, then Aladdin in 1992 lol

Some pictures of the above mentioned wallasey cinemas, buildings or sites of where the buildings where.

ahh waddi has been busy lol

any idea why the apollo was knocked down?

to make way for apartments,

I have a picture of the apollo boarded up, currently seeking permission to post it tho.

seeking permission? from who?

the person who took the picture.

he is a member of this site and a member of a forum that I "pinched" the pic from, lol

so thought it would be appropriate to ask 1st.

fair enough.

I took them pics in a drive by shooting,

explain:
Dropped wife of a ASDA to do shopping,
2 babies in the back asleep,
thought hmm what should I do, boring sat in the car in Asda carpark.
I know I'll go for a little drive, on the drive I passed the liscard palace and the capitol and a little light bulb appeared above my head, so round the liscard one way system and back towards the 2 above mentioned buildings, took the pictures on my phone hanging out of the car window whilst stopped at the lights etc, never left the car once. photography version of a drive by shotting, lol.

Great pictures waddi, i'm surprised at the one in liscard.
Never knew that

You know where the Avenue pub is right know on Bidston avenue.. There was a cinema there called "The Avenue" it was bombed in the war

the capitol and the liscard palace (shoe market) were both in liscard, very very close to one enougher

another* - great pics, i never knew the apollo had been knocked down lol, was still standing when i came up here i believe... used to pass it every thrusday as my dad bowled in the league down at new brighton and that was along the route lol

Good find Joe. How did these cinemas make a profit with all the compatition around.

good fine joe

as promised, picures of the Apollo cimema, after closure but before demolition, taken by wikiwirral member "4737carlin"

used to go there all the time, i thought it was a great place, does ant one remember the phoenix cinema in wallasey village, used to be next to the farmers arms pub opposite St Marys College...

the last time i went to the apollo was to see titanic lol

I have posted about the phoenix here

and also posted this pic

I miss the apollo 6 as it had 6 Screens .. I went to watch Independence Day there as well as StarGate.. Its the only cinema i ever went to as the Nearest one then was the Odeon Liverpool as Brombourgh one was a Bitch to get to back then..

The one at the Tunnel end of Conway Street was called The Classic in the 70s and 80s. Think the last film I saw there was Crocodile Dundee.

I also went to The Plaza just once that I can remember to see 101 Dalmations. Must've been around '69 or '70. It became a bingo hall later on. Used to see loads of women piling out of there and onto the bus at lunchtimes.

The ABC in Liscard used to have a Minors' Club on Saturday mornings in the 60s. It even had its own song. They used to show old b/w films such as Flash Gordon.

Nice pics matey.
In your pic of the "Capitol" in Liscard, if you look at the to the right of the boarding up, there is a green door, used to be a night club years ago! Think if my drunken hazed memory is correct, was called Christies!!
Har a long flight of stairs just on the other side of the door, thrown down them many a time!!
Ahhh, the good old bad old times eh?

I know its not a cinema but where was the Argyle Theatre in these pictures located on Argyle Road. It's a shame it was bombed looked a good place for shows.

More about the Argyle Theater Click Me

Thanks for sharing

there was a cinema on old chester road in rock ferry was a tyre house until recent years . next to the old car auctions but been knocked down now.

Quite correct hoseman it was christies and i too have experienced the forced stairs exit lol

The appollo in Wallasey used to be known as the Unit Six before that it was the Unit Four and before that it was the Gaumont

Just thought I'd post in a couple of things for this.

When Furniture World was Roller World I worked behind the scenes and the layout of it was most definitely that of a cinema. The entrance is relatively unchanged and as you'd enter you'd be in the lobby/foyer with a staircase either side. At the side of these staircases it still had the original lights with CIRCLE on each piece of plastic or glass. Anyway, these lights lead to another upper foyer which in turn lead onto the balcony seating (which still existed when I was there, some still burnt out and VERY creepy.) Back downstairs there were two sets of double doors, one on each side and to the right side was the boot room which must have been the cloakroom. As you made your way to the skating rink it was hard to see where the seating would have been as that had totally gone but where the screen would have been was obvious, the stage was still there with doors flanking each side. Otherwise the building was semi-unremarkable, though it did have the creepiest basement I've ever been in!

Also, just on the Capitol in Liscard, I wandered down the back of it today and took a snap, I don't think I've ever been so gutted about something in all my life (though sadly, not as gutted as the building was.

See More Pictures Click Me

Does anyone have an idea what may be planned for The Liscard Capitol site? Looks to me from the pic and from personal inspection that they are intent on preserving the outer brickwork shell - meaning they would be planning to re-build within.

There should be SOMETHING about it in the Wirral Council planning permissions website - which has a reasonable search system so if I have time I will look there

Snod

It is very sad to see another Cinema in that state and on it's way to total destruction!!

Where is this? Google map link anyone?

It's behind that boarded up fascia at the junction by the barclays, Wellington pub, Lloyds TSB and this is the fourth.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=53.420812,-3.045101&spn=0.000761,0.002511&t=h&z=19

It's a massive personal blow to me because I have plans for it myself, albeit in the very very early planning stage. There's zero on the Wirral planning section however the rumour is that it'll be turned into a Yates' wine bar. Yeah, just what we need, another pub, especially when Turnberry's (The Boot) gets hardly anyone in there any more and the Wellington's getting sold off.

A bit more about the Phoenix taken from a local history book with some bits added by mum.

I personally remember the Phoenix being built in early 1950s and went there often through the late 50s- early 60s - girlfriend time !

It was being built because the earlier place on the site had been bombed in 1941, that was the Coliseum Theatre. Hence the Phoenix was "rising from the ashes". The original picture house there was the Cosmo, opened in 1913 and then re-opened as the Coliseum Theatre in 1924. The Phoenix closed in 1983

Snod

Been back there today, felt a touch more adventurous (although not so I went truly inside, maybe another day though another day soon it looks like it'll have to be and took a fair few snaps, I'll put them up once i've resized them, they're nearly 3MB per picture! Being underneath the balcony is some really dodgy stuff. I'm sure it's safe but you heard little noises every now and again which left you weary.

Ive been reccomended to create a new Urban Exploration Topic
with more pictures...

To See more pictures Click Me

i remember going past the in rock ferry on the bus and my dad told me he remembers seeing ghostbusters there and you could see palace on the roof of it, best viewed from a double decker bus which we don't have in canberra

Great Pictures.

Just a quick note : If anyone has large files they need to
upload, just drop me a pm and i can send you a link
to upload your files

I will sort your pictures from the zip file a little later.
And post them on your behalf.
Thanks for sharing

meant to be a yates pub from what iv heard.

the appolo six (unit 4) closed down when the manager died.


He put his heart and soul into that place, sadly when he died the builing died too

such a shame that..... i used to love the phoenix in wallasey village, saw 'star trek wrath of khan' and 'E.T.' there too...

Reminder: purchase new batteries for the torch. I'll try and get into the Capitol again soon, it doesn't look like much work's been done on it bar the world's crappiest fencing at the back.

Update: bar one column that leads onto the entrance onto Seaview Rd the building's just now rubble. I have a couple of camera-phone pictures, I'll put them in the UE thread about it.

Here's Pic of the Classic where the old flyover stood. That was the first cinema I was allowed to go to by myself, I went to see Ghostbusters!! Went to watch it a few time then!

think i remember going to that one

spot on pic i rember you could bunk in throug the side door

My father was chief projectionist at ABC in Argyle St for over 20 years if you need any info let me know, he's the man to ask. Also he remembers other cinemas in the area, including Hoylake, tranmere, and New Brighton.

BIG AL ROBBO

The Classic was previously the Empire or the Super (can't remember which). They were both on the same block, almost opposite the Ritz where I was a projectionist in 1955. The ABC was called the Savoy then & was one of the largest in town. Here's an extract from a map from 1954-55 which shows them all.

Cheers, Chris.

If you go into the Shoemarket in Liscard, just next to the desk above a doorway is a lot of information on the Palace and how it looked originally (and the design was a LOT better than the faux Art Deco cack on offer now) but it was a photocopy and I forgot to ask what the book it was from was. Damn.

the one that was next to sherlocks as is now, maybe the fever bar, used to be known as the flea pit because you used to come out of there scratching

Missed the New Brighton one's out chaps and chapesses. The Court a tiny cinema where I watched most of my films. Saw Dr No there and Zulu for the first time. That was the sister cinema to the Royal in Egremont now a snooker hall. Once the Court had shown its films for three days they were then sent to the Royal for another three days.

Also in Victoria road New Brighton was the Trocedero. I went to see the last film ever shown there "Reach for the Sky". That became some kind of cheapo supermarket after closure.

The Winter Gardens in Atherton street near New Brighton station was another I used to go to occasionally. Once they celebrated some sort of anniversary and all the kids were given a goody bag with a donut, sweets and free lolly ice. It was brilliant. Became a bingo hall for a long time and then knocked down. Now sheltered housing.

Used to go to the Saturday morning one at the ABC in Liscard and sang the minors song. "We are the ABC minors, minors of the ABC and every Saturday we line up, to see the films we laugh and shout about with glee".

Well it went something like that

Been to the Phoenix, Gaumont (refuse to call it Unit four or Apollo. It was always the Gaumont to us. There was another one at the bottom end of Liscard road but I can't remember the name of it and never went there myself,

I think the very first picture house in New Brighton if not Wallasey was in Virginia road, maybe the palace itself? Well before my time of course.

Re the ABC/Capitol, someone suggested that it was going to be a mosque? I flipping hope not!

It's just landscaped at the minute, it half-looks like they're going to be a car park, I've not seen much in the way of plans on the council planning website anyway but apparently there's not a single plan for it out there. It's just the facade and the side exit that's been retained, otherwise it's just freshly-tarmacked open air.

The Trocadero became a Co-Op before going.

Here's the Gaumont Palace: http://flickr.com/photos/4737carlin/1224507314/
I remember it as the Apollo 6. I think I saw Terminator 2 there about 3 times lol Saw other films there with my cheapskate b@stard boyfriend of the time. I think he preferred that sh*thole to the new and shiny Odeon in Bromborough. (what was I thinking???)
Anyway. I also found this for people who feel the need to go looking for cinemas of yore:
http://cinematreasures.org/

No Co-Op was on the other side further up. http://www.newbrightonwalrus.org.uk/photos/index.php?display=photocd%2FMiscellaneous%2F185a_%27Trocadero%27.jpg

memory fails me know, but what was the name of the massive cinema at Hoylake , down a side road from the main drag, leading off to the beach. I can just about remember it from going there as a kid...

Phill

I guess you mean the "Winter Gardens" in Alderley Road.

There was also the Kingsway on Market Street and there was a "Classic" at one time.

I keep remembering bits of when I went into the Shoemarket, I remember hearing that a lot of the old tilework and fittings still exist in the store room, including the original curve of the roof. They seemed quite friendly in there so maybe it's worth asking one day if they'd mind some photos being taken? Maybe for a comparison of now and then, I really want to know what book the information that was above that door next to the till was from too, I may have to head up to the library some day and go through the reference books there, I couldn't read it (I'm short) but it looked interesting.

Wallasey - Cinemas

[youtube]yIkGIJdUmnc[/youtube]

Jase fantastic great to see some old houses..

thanks too (parapiranha) a Member on hear

Good that Jase. Marina, where was that? I used to work with a bloke in the 60's who went on about the Marina.

Hi Chris

If you want more info on old cinemas get in touch. My dad worked at various cinemas throughout Wirral and Liverpool for over 35 years and has many stories. Worked at ABC Argyle St for over 15 years, ended his years as Chief Projectionist at Forum, Liverpool. By the way, do you remeber the cinema that was across the road to were Mc Donalds is now. Was a bingo for a while and a social club before closing in the 70's. Can't remeber what it was called .Gigged their a few times in various bands. Also was the Haige Club in Moreton once a cinema?

big al robbo

Do you mean the Astor which was on the corner of Claughton Road and Atherton Street? The Astor was Birkenhead's first music hall, it opened on 21st January 1862. The music hall became a cinema in 1914, first called the Claughton Picture House and then the Astor. In 1957 it became Birkenhead's first major bingo club. It closed in 1981 and was demolished in March 1982, because the building was 'unsafe'. It was, therefore, also the last of Birkenhead's music halls to be demolished.

anyone have any info on the avenue cinema that was bombed duuring the war and never re-opened

Here's a map of Charing Cross from 1936. I've marked the position of Mc.Donald's & the Astor & Roxy cinemas. I don't remember ever going to the Astor, but went to the Roxy a couple of times; it was one of those where you came out itching.

Cheers, Chris.

I remember the Roxy, I used to go there for Sat matinee. Flash Gordon or Hopalong Cassidy. And yes it was called the FleaPit, it was the best. That would have been late fifties, mid sixties it was a supermarket.
The Astor did turn into a dance hall/night club thingy. Many a great night in there. I think. Thigs get a bit hazy after 40years. Oh well.....

There is also an old cinema in Heswall, it is now the Lloyd's pharmacy. they use the old screen area as a store room.

Was it the "King's Cinema" in Heswall?

I'm far too young to young to know that, but I'll have a look about next time I'm over that way and see if I can see anything on the brick work.

Here is a list and maps showing dates opened and closed,
seating capacity of various cinemas on the Wirral