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 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
A couple’s first date at the opening of the Plaza Cinema in 1939.
Patricia remembers The Stella being “a bit posh” and the usherettes going round sprying discinfectant or flit spray during the films in the Palladium
My father did shift work, so every third week we would all go to the pictures either to the Regent, Plaza or the Corona…
Tommy remembers exchanging jam jars and doing odd jobs to earn money to go to the pictures.
The Lathom was a Picture house, now over 100 years later it plays homage to its cinematic roots and is decorated with film and music memorabillia.
The fantastic five storey building was built in 1911 as a theatre and described as “artistic throughout”
Flyers distributed in cinemas were a popular way to advertise forthcoming features.