Going To The Pictures

Memories are made of this… Project overview

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.

Cinema Heritage Interactive Map

Explore this map of 21 local cinemas within a 3 mile radius of the Plaza, from 1930 to 1960.

Collecting and copying the film stars

Film cards, magazines and photographs of the stars became valuable prized possessions which were collected and exchanged by the cinema goers and would be a talking point in society.

Representation of women

Like cinema itself, the way women have been represented on the big screen has changed through the decades

Screen struggle at the Gaumont Cinema

I sent the 3 children to the pictures and my youngest son actually committed the cardinal sin of The Gaumont

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.

Visit to the North West Film Archive

Volunteers through the project were treated to a tour of The North West Film Archive in Manchester where they learnt about how the archive plays a key part in preserving our local and regional film heritage.