The name 'Essoldo'

[darrenburnfan]

name='Santonix']There were three cinemas in Stretford, The Essoldo, The Picturedrome and The Corona.

Blimey, and he could have worked at any one of them.

[Santonix]

name='Tom Bancroft']That's interesting Santonix. never heard of that one.



Do you have any idea where the Corona was situated in Stretford and when it existed?



I know that there was a Corona in the West Gorton area of Manchester until it closed in the 60's or early 70's.



Perhaps it was owned by the same people.

It was on Moss Road. My parents went there in the 1940's. I can remember in the 1960's, as a child walking past it many times, by then it had closed down. The building stood for many years, but has since been demolished.

[Steve Wigan]

name='Tom Bancroft']That's interesting Santonix. never heard of that one.



Do you have any idea where the Corona was situated in Stretford and when it existed?



I know that there was a Corona in the West Gorton area of Manchester until it closed in the 60's or early 70's.



Perhaps it was owned by the same people.

There was also a Corona in the Crosby area of Liverpool , at least until the late 1950s, possibly longer. It took some 'first run' stuff...I remember seeing 'An Inspector Calls' there, and they changed the programme every Sunday and Thursday....I actually have a printed 'months coming attractions' programme from this cinema. I'll dig it out...it might indicate that it was part of a chain.

[Tom Bancroft]

Steve:-



Just had a look at a pic of the Crosby Corona on the 'Crosby Memories' website. The materials used and squarish architecture is quite similar to the Gorton one - a suggestion possibly that there may have been a connection.



Santonix and Darren:-



Just found an excellent photo of the Stretford Corona on the Education and Leisure section of Trafford Council's website click this link to see it http://www.trafford.gov.uk/content/t...p?ImageID=1822 there is also a potted history. It was apparently bought by Metrovicks in 1951 and used as their social club.



I have also discovered that the Gorton Corona became the 'Mayflower Club' in the 80's and had a couple of other names before its demise. Bands such as the Buzzcocks, Joy Division, etc. appeared there among others.

[Santonix]

Tom, I will send you a PM.

[Santonix]

Tom I cannot PM you.

Ok, turn right off Derbyshire Lane into Moss Road. 200yds on Left hand side is a new building called Metro's, That is where the Corona stood.

[Steve Wigan]

name='Tom Bancroft']Steve:-



Just had a look at a pic of the Crosby Corona on the 'Crosby Memories' website. The materials used and squarish architecture is quite similar to the Gorton one - a suggestion possibly that there may have been a connection.



Santonix and Darren:-



Just found an excellent photo of the Stretford Corona on the Education and Leisure section of Trafford Council's website click this link to see it Trafford Lifetimes there is also a potted history. It was apparently bought by Metrovicks in 1951 and used as their social club.



I have also discovered that the Gorton Corona became the 'Mayflower Club' in the 80's and had a couple of other names before its demise. Bands such as the Buzzcocks, Joy Division, etc. appeared there among others.

It seems that the Coronas were part of the old Gaumont chain, which merged with Rank. The Corona in Crosby was in College Road near Marine Football Club. When Gaumont merged with Rank, it became a second run house, because Rank already had the Odeon on Crosby Road. Source of the above...the wonderful(!) Wikipedia and my own memory ! It may be that the other Coronas , being similar style, were probably Gaumonts. Certainly Gaumonts desappeared in the late 50s.

.

[orpheum]

Gaumonts didnt actually disappear till the 1980s.I used to go the Gaumont North Finchley till it closed in about 1980.

[Steve Wigan]

name='orpheum']Gaumonts didnt actually disappear till the 1980s.I used to go the Gaumont North Finchley till it closed in about 1980.

Fair enough. Most, if not all, were sold to Rank, and were there was already an Odeon, they were closed/sold on/ or became second run houses. One of the last films(to full houses!) at the Corona Crosby was Rock Around The Clock(57)...no doubt the demolition of the cinema began while it was still showing !!!

[Tom Bancroft]

name='Santonix']Tom I cannot PM you.

Ok, turn right off Derbyshire Lane into Moss Road. 200yds on Left hand side is a new building called Metro's, That is where the Corona stood.

Thanks Santonix, I must have a drive round there to see the latest developments.



I'm told that Metrovicks (Metropolitan Vickers Ltd.) bought the Corona cinema building in the 50's and adapted the premises as their Sports and Social Club.



The permises have now been replaced by a new building on the same site after the club committee raised the funds required. The work was done by Seddons, who are the main contractor for the redevelopment of the area.

[orpheum]

The gaumont Cicuit was absorbed into Rank in the 40s.many became part of what was known as The National Circuit run by CMA.

[longfordcinema]

Hi,



In answer to the thread on this building, I think it's already been mentioned but take a look around www.longfordcinema.co.uk .I run this site and am always desperate for people to contribute to it. The site is aimed at compiling information on the buildings history, the people who worked in and used it and the companies that ran it.



If you have any information, please either visit the site and contribute directly, or email me info@longfordcinema.co.uk .I am particulaly interested in old photos, scans of programmes and posters etc and personal accounts of using the building.



A couple of weeks ago we got the best article yet into the MEN and there is a piece due to air on Channel M (Manchester region only) with new footage of the interior.



Thanks.

[longfordcinema]

The Channel M report has now come out and is sat on the web. You can see if by following this link Channel M - TV for Manchester



There isn't a new footage as thought, just loads of stuff recycled from the website and youtube but usefull none the less.

[tonybook]

the ESSOLDO name

ESter Sheckman was my late wife's great aunt. SOL was her husband. They lived and worked around Tyneside. Sol is buried in the Jewish Cemetory in North Shields and ''Auntie Ettie'' as she was known died in Monte Carlo. Their only child DOrothy married Meyer Refson and they lived in Sunderland until Meyer died in the 60s. They had three children, two boys and a girl. Dorothy remarried to Gus Stone and was proud to have had two silver wedding anniversaries. They are both buried in Netanya having died in the 90s.

Auntie Ettie used to tell wonderful stories as to how she played those crazy piano tunes 'at the pictures' for the silent movies...all of which were improvised..she was a great character.