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.

Dating at the cinema, being thrown out, and the influence of music

Jean’s cinema memories of dating at the Pictures and the influence of music and not being able to stay in your seat for wanting to dance.

Real cigarettes in the Regal

Tom has an interesting cinema memory from before the smoking ban.

Penny rush and Roy Rogers

If you got in for the ‘Penny Rush’ you had extra money for sweets – Toms early 1930′s matinee memories

Queues to get into the cinemas

There were often queues to get into the cinemas because they were so popular.

Morality at the Cinema

After the Second World War, the church and educationalists raised concerns regarding what was being shown within the children’s cinema matinees, and in the cinemas in general, highlighting Hollywood’s glamorization of immoral behavior and crime.