Cinema: Stella Cinema | Going To The Pictures

Visits to various picture houses in the area with family and friends

My father did shift work, so every third week we would all go to the pictures either to the Regent, Plaza or the Corona…

Spending pocket money on our favourite films

Pay day pocket money in hand and off to the pictures, and to the ‘chippy’ for 3 penneth of chips – what joy, blown the rest of that week’s pocket money. My friends and I loved the cinema, oh what Happy Days.

Patricia’s memories of Seaforth Cinemas

Patricia remembers The Stella being “a bit posh” and the usherettes going round sprying discinfectant or flit spray during the films in the Palladium

The Stella Cinema Seaforth Road Seaforth

The Stella Cinema a 1920′s gem which accommodated seating for 1200 patrons

To be continued…The Serial at the cinema

Cinemas would show episodes of a serial each week which would be left on a cliff hanger, this was a way of having regular cinema patrons return each week

Hugging and kissing in the back row of the movies

The cinema has provided a popular venue for dating and through the 30’s to the 60’s was the first choice for many first dates and courting couples who would often head for the back row.

‘Rock around the Clock’

When the film ‘Rock Around the Clock’ was released in cinemas the music had people dancing in the aisles and many people were asked to leave the cinema.

The cinema as a community venue.

The Cinema’s of the 1930′s to the 1960′s were often seen as being a quite luxurious venue for the public to go. They were an important part of the community for socialising and magnificent places of entertainment