The film was created by film maker Christina Condron and up and coming new film maker and project volunteer Sean Reynolds, who have filmed over 50 interviews with local cinema goers and staff from the ‘golden age of cinema’. Additional camera assistance was provided by Bill Morris, John Lines and Beth Greenwood. Sound and image editing support by Jordan Plant.

Archive photographs were provided from Sefton Records Office, Liverpool Records Office and Keith Rose.

We would like to sincerley thank all those who shared their cinema memories on camera with us for the Going to the Pictures Project. We have enjoyed sharing your memories and appreciate your time and contribution inhelping preserve our local cinema heritage.

The Going to the Pictures film was screened at the Project Showcase Event at the Plaza Community Cinema in March 2013.
The full film will soon be available to view through this website.

As part of the project volunteers were given the opportunity to attend a Website Workshop in which they learnt skills on how to upload text and visual content to the website.

The contextual information and content has been developed and uploaded by heritage Officer for the project Christina Condron and project volunteers, Bill Morris, Sean Reynolds and Libby Howell.

The websites structure has been developed by Sam Meech.

Many children would leave the cinema slapping their thighs and pretending to be cowboys like their favorite action hero’s. They would also use their coats as a capes, pretending to fly like batman, reliving what they had just watched on the screen.

The songs and musicals would be enacted around the streets when the young people left the cinema.

Due to the rolling and changing film program and the large number of cinemas, there was always lots of choice.

It was a warm, dark environment away from family and friends. That was until the lights would go on and many friends in courting couples would be scattered around the cinema especially on the back row. The cinema acted a social venue in which people from the community could come together, meet and find out who was dating who.

Throughout the project we have been capturing peoples memories of Going to the Pictures.
Many have been recorded using professional quality digital cameras and microphones. These recordings have been edited into short clips for the Going to the Pictures project website and film.

images showing people sharing their cinema memories

Students from Crosby High practicing their camera skills

People who used and worked in the local Picture Houses between the 1930′s and 1960′s period have been invited into the Plaza Community Cinema to share their cinema memories on camera. We have a collection of over 50 interviews ranging from about 30 minutes to 2 hours in length which have been placed within the North West Sound Archive for safe preservation. A DVD collection of cinema memories can also be found within Sefton Records Office. By placing the recorded interviews of cinema memories with the North West Sound Archive we hope that a part of our local cinema heritage is preserved for future generations and not forgotten.

We have heard many funny and interesting stories whilest recording memories of going to the pictures

Students from Crosby High recording cinema memories at intergenerational session

As well as working with Crosby High School to capture cinema memories several volunteers have worked with Heritage Officer Christina Condron throughout the project to record and capture these memories of Going to the Pictures. Special thanks to Sean Reynolds, Bill Morris, Jordan Plant, Johnathon Lines and Beth Greenwood. And of course a huge thank you to all the people who have shared cinema memories with us. We have met some great people and heard some fantastic stories.
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This image shows project volunteer Sean Reynolds filming ex cinema projectionist, Mike Taylor – The last projectionist at the Bootle Odeon Cinema

This image shows volunteer Jordan who helped with editing

This image shows some of the project volunteers setting up to film
This image shows a resident from Nazareth House sharing his cinema memories with Heritage Officer Christina Condron

This image shows Steve Ellison – film historian preparing to share his cinema memories and thoughts on camera