Cinemas - memories

[smudge]

That's right, Hackett - the one at the bottom of Cape Hill is the Grove. I nearly turned it into a drive in when I first came round that corner - I was too busy looking skywards at the old cinema sign.



For AGES the Beacon still had it's neon signage tubes and the interior was still basically the same. IIRC the projection room had been converted into an accountant's office at one time.



With the advent of DVD even the Bolloywood cinema (PRINCES) has given up the ghost. They re-furbished it then soon after, packed it in. So if anyone wants to rent a fully functioning movie house.... :)



SMUDGE

[Bob M.]

In the small town of Ampthill, Beds. is a building that is so obviously a retired cinema. The front still has the central doors with two wings either side, the building being quite slim at the front but stretches back a long way.The front is now an offy with a few small shops down the side, chippy etc.The inside of the place is now a snooker hall. It used to be 'The Zonita'.

No comparison. Another victim of the t.v.

[David Brent]

Thanks Hackett and Smudge for the information regarding two of my old cinemas the "GROVE" & the "PRINCES".

Hackett you also mentioned the Bass Brewery on the Cape....did they take over from Mitchells & Butler?

The old "Crown" cinema in Ladywood was also turned into a hardware store.



Dave.

[smudge]

In the small town of Ampthill, Beds. is a building that is so obviously a retired cinema. The front still has the central doors with two wings either side, the building being quite slim at the front but stretches back a long way.

It's sometimes surprising where you find old cinemas... eek!



I was working in Kettering recently and there, in a quite densely populated estate, was a building that could only ever have been a picture house. It looked a bit like the QE2 coming into port surrounded by hundreds of little ships.



Dave B - you're welcome to these little bits of information from 'home' ; I only wish we could report some good news about a cinema instead of the usual closures bawling



SMUDGE

[Hell_driver]

The Grove that Smudge nearly turned into a drive in was on Dudley Road at the bottom of Rotton Park Road where I used to have a flat, and the Crown was on Icknield Port Road at the bottom of Osler Street where my Mom and Uncles were bought up. I never knew either as Cinema's.

Bass brewery I think merged with Mitchell's and Butler's as since I've been drinking they've always been Bass M&B.They've now been taken over by the Yanks and now they're Coors brewery. bawling

[Bob M.]

In the town of Cranfield, Beds., is another building that was so obviously a local flicks. I think it's a co-op now. During the war, Cranfield had a R.A.F. airodrome nearby which at one time the great Guy Gibson stationed at. I wonder if...

[Freddy]

Saturday's Telegraph Magazine had an article with colour photos of the following old cinemas. There is a colour photo and text for each of them



Duke of York Brighton 1910

The Dome Worthing 1911

The Coliseum Porthmadog 1931

Electric Palace Harwich 1911



The text is far too large to put on here and as mentioned in another thread(independent cinema) I have been unable to locate a url for it on their web site so I have scanned it into a pdf file which can be read with an adobe acrobat reader

and have it on my computer.



The whole file is nearly 700kb so if anybody wants a copy feel free to contact me with their email address.



regards

Freddy

[MrGifford]

Originally posted by Hell_driver:

] We had The Clifton & The Beacon by us when .

I used to live one block from the beacon..When they tore it down rats ran all up the Queslett road!



And ah yes, the Clifton, saw many great movies there in the 70's. I remember going to see the premiere of Fiddler on the roof. The last movie i saw there was Grease!



I now live in California. Memories are bloody great though!

[dylan]

A friend of mine in America is researching old London Cinemas that he went to around 1960 such as the Biograph in Wilton Road or Scala at King's Cross.



What he would ideally like is a "What's On In London" listing of film programmes from that period. Failing that, could I brainstorm members here for their reminisces - name of the cinema, location, films seen, impressions (posh, flea-pit, sordid, etc).



By "London" I mean the old LCC area not the present meglotropolis.



D.

[Moor Larkin]

name='dylan'] What he would ideally like is a "What's On In London" listing of film programmes from that period.

I have a couple of editions of the magazine, "What's On (in London)", from 1962/3. A couple of years could make a massive difference to any meaning for your friend however. If those years are of use, I might be able to assist......



Other members on the Forum may know of some web content you can access. See what pops up in the next few days.............

[funlover]

Oh this takes me back. "The Trocadero" Elephant and Castle.



Now replaced by some hideous government building opposite which was an equally hideous pink shopping centre.