Dim the lights as we remember Merseyside’s great vanished cinemas 

posted in: All News | 0

Long before the days of TVs, DVDs and streaming services, there used to be a cinema or picture house on nearly every street corner.

Often housed in ornate buildings with names like the Rialto, the Roxy, or the Majestic, people would flock to them once, twice, even three times a week.

It would not only be a film – the programme would also include newsreels to bring viewers up to date on what was happening in the world, and cartoons. Basically it was like the TV of its day.

Fast forward to the 1970s and 1980s, and many of these cinemas still survived – albeit to much smaller audiences, most of whom had deserted the “flics” for “the box”, which they could watch in the comfort of their own home.

But in the long term this model was unsustainable – the remaining vintage cinemas all but disappeared with the advent of multiplexes and increasingly sophisticated ways of watching movies at home, which were almost as good as watching them in the cinema.

Here we take a look back at some of the great cinemas on Merseyside which have been loved and lost over the years.

Lime Street

Lime Street was once dominated by three ABC cinemas – the large one overlooking St John’s shopping centre and the mainline railway station, along with its two smaller cousins, the Futurist and the Scala.

Many of us will have fond memories of catching the new releases in these vintage picture houses – in many cases, it was our first ever experience of going to the cinema.

London Road

The multi-screen Odeon cinema in London Road was once the only one of its kind in Liverpool, and survived well into the new millennium.

Again, it was a favourite haunt for many of us growing up.

The 051, Mount Pleasant

A three-screen cinema first opened at this site, at the junction of Brownlow Hill and Mount Pleasant, back in the 1970s. Its more usual fare then were porno flick double bills (this was long before the Internet), and the cinema went through a number of name changes and temporary closures before re-opening in the early 90s as the 051.

Birkenhead town centre

The town centre formerly boasted two main cinemas – the Classic on Conway Road, and the ABC on Argyle Street.

Although they had long since closed, both were still standing – that is, until this year.

Gaumont cinema, Park Road, Dingle

Located on the corner of Dingle Lane and Park Road, the art deco building is a Liverpool landmark which once held a 1,500-seat cinema.

Opened in 1937, the curve-fronted cinema was built to replace the old Dingle Picturedome.

After functioning as a cinema for nearly three decades, the building was turned into a Top Rank Bingo Club in the 1960s.

It has stood empty and unused for a number of years, despite being bought and resold by potential investors looking to transform the site.

Last year the former Gaumont was put up for sale with Venmores Auctions, who have since confirmed that it was sold to an unknown bidder.

Majestic Cinema,  Daulby Street

A cinema had occupied this prominent site, on the corner of Daulby Street and Prescott Street, since 1914.

Source: Dim the lights as we remember Merseyside’s great vanished cinemas – Liverpool Echo