Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Apollo theatre, Wallasey

Hi all, just wondering if anyone can tell me where the old Apollo used to be in Wallasey?? I remember going when I was younger but can't for the life of me place where it used to be.... if anyone has any pics that would be great, or if you can just let me know what stands in it's place now. Thanks in advance

just past the old rocket ronnies and the BP garage on king street going towards new brighton

Map

Is that on the corner of King Street and Trafalger Road??

Yes where the flats are now

Thanks to you both, I thought it was there but just couldn't picture it when I've walked past

thats the one

The appartments were built about 10 years ago.
The Apollo group did a lot to make it more attractive, giving it back a 1930's look and feel that the Unit4 conversion had taken away.
The history of the site goes back a lot further.
In 1862, the foundation stone of the Egremont United Presbertyn Church was laid on this site, until the congregation moved in 1908.
In January 1910, after some conversion into a cinema, it opened as the Lyceum Cinema. In December 1931 it was destroyed by fire.
In 1933 the 'Gaumont Palace' opened, with 1209 seats - a splendid example of art-deco of the time. The walls were covered in tapestry to help the acoustics. The tapestry's were made in Birkenhead.
In 1967 it was sold by the Rank Organisation to the Classic cinema group, and renamed 'The Classic', but cinema audiences were falling, largely due to the advent of colour tv.
In 1974, it was sold to the Unit4 group, who subdivided it into four cinemas, and renamed it the 'Unit 4', being one Wirrals first multi-screen cinemas.
Audience numbers continued to drop, so the owners divided it into a six screen cinema in 1979, although it was still called the Unit4. At one point, the audience figures were so low that it only screen films on a Sunday and hosted bingo the rest of the week.
From there it went to be the Apollo, described above. Once that closed, it was boarded-up, vandalised and put up for sale.
The manager for a long time was a Mr. Hutchinson (Mr.H). When the Apollo closed, he moved on to manage the Apollo in Great Crosby, which it seems he managed to turn around. When he finally retired was about when the apartments were constructed. He died just a few years later.
The cinema site was not without its share of tradegies, though, through a fire and through a bizarre bus accident.
I'll let you search the site to find out about them..

Excellent writup norton thankyou.

Apollo pics here

I remember going to Unit 4 with two lovely blond hairdressers (female) & we took a roast chicken & a bottle of red wine in with us to help sustain us through the movie.

Trust you Tatey, three birds and a bottle of vino! Lol

First time I have heard it called a theatre! Always been the Gaumont to this old arse.

Then of course there was the Apollo club/dance hall/roller rink in Moreton!

Yeah! but one was dead!

I used to get movie posters off the geezer that ran the place, nightmare on elm st was one of the movies I managed to sneak in to watch as I was underage lol.

I think the last movie I watched there was dangerous minds. I parked the chevette I was in in the carpark over the rd and had to smash the window and Hotwire it because I lost the keys haha! Memories.

My late Mother worked there when we were kids...