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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 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
Hugging and kissing in the back row of the movies
The cinema has provided a popular venue for dating and through the 30’s to the 60’s was the first choice for many first dates and courting couples who would often head for the back row.
Seeing ‘Oliver’ at the Plaza
My first memory of the pictures is coming to the Plaza to see ‘Oliver’.
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.
Employment in the Picture Houses
The cinema became a place of respectable employment and offered roles to both men and women
Queues to get into the cinemas
There were often queues to get into the cinemas because they were so popular.
Visit to the North West Sound Archive
The memories of Going to the Pictures we have recorded for the project will be stored within the North West Sound Archive so that part of our local cinema heritage is preserved for future generations
