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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.
The Stella Cinema Seaforth Road Seaforth
The Stella Cinema a 1920′s gem which accommodated seating for 1200 patrons
The ABC Film Review
The ABC Film Review magazine was available in all ABC Cinemas from 1950 onwards. This magazine told cinema goers of forth coming film attractions
Sunday Cinema opening
At one time many cinemas were not allowed to open on a Sunday and those which did had several restrictions placed upon them.
Picturegoer
The Picturegoer film magazine is probably one of the oldest film magazines having first been published in 1913, it was a typical fan magazine not only telling readers about new films but also carried stories about the film stars and their private lives.
The National Anthem was played at the end of the film shows
Patriotic Cinema goers would stand for the National Anthem which was played at the end of the film screenings.
The Muncaster, New Princes Theatre, Strand Cinema Irlam Road Bootle – a.k.a. The Ranch
Built as a theatre in 1890 then moved on to show popular moving images, known locally as ‘The Ranch’ the building held many interesting memories until it was destroyed by fire in the 1950′s
My first visit to the Winter Gardens, Waterloo.
In 1933/34 I went to “The Pictures” for the first time, but I was not impressed. The black and white film was very old and scratched; it looked like driving rain to me. A few years later I went again and paid a penny to get in with a penny for ice cream in the interval.
