The aim of the Going to the Pictures Project has been to help preserve a part of our local cinema heritage by collecting and recording memories from people who used and worked in the local picture houses from the 1930′s to the 1960′s.
Explore this map of 21 local cinemas within a 3 mile radius of the Plaza, from 1930 to 1960.
The Stella Cinema a 1920′s gem which accommodated seating for 1200 patrons
Cinemas accommodated for different audiences by holding film programs which catered and entertained many tastes.
Cinema was very much a part of Derek’s life, becoming a manager and meeting his wife at the cinema. One memory was when Fulham Football team visited one of the cinemas he managed, before playing Liverpool the next day.
Crosby High Students at Sefton Records Office viewing old maps and photographs to see how the area and community has changed over the years and where the Picture Houses in the area once stood.
The innovation of sound technology in the late 1920′s caused a sensation in the world of film and many cinemas had to adapt and alter to embrace the new technology.
Through the project we have invited people into the Plaza Community Cinema to share their cinema memories on camera
Common themes remembered by cinema goers of the 30’s to the 60’s is that of ‘bunking in’ or not paying to get into the cinema. Also young cinema goers from the period of the 30′s to the 60′s would often ask strangers if they could go into the cinema with them so they could watch films that maybe they shouldn’t due to censorship and film classifications.