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Ritz Cinema Demolished
posted by
Samanthacheryl
on
June 17, 2005 at 6:08 am
WIGAN, ENGLAND — The Ritz Cinema, opened in 1938 and built in the Art Deco style of the period is being demolished. After a new multiplex opened it finally closed on 31 May 1998. As I only moved to the area recently, I never went there but many local people have fond memories of it. The cinema is currently being demolished in the town centre, today atop a hill, I could see the yellow curtains still hanging around the giant main screen.
Visit this site for a whole gallery of photographs taken inside the building last year. They even left the pepsi cans in the fridge!!! I think this is extremely sad.
The cinema is being demolished to build yet another shopping centre.
Comments (4)
I agree, Samantha – this is extremely sad. Looking at the photos, save for a little clean-up and minor repair work here and there (and disposal of those seven-year-old cans of Pepsi), this theatre was hardly run-down. Too bad no one took over ownership and found a way to return it to operation.
UPDATE
I walked past the cinema today and it is now just a shell. According to local press, this building was extremely close to being saved and turned into a concert venue; I believe that within the next decade people will come to regret loosing such a valuable part of Wigan’s history.
Though i utterly dissagee with the demolition us locals mean little to our council and so our opinions not considered but why oh why at least couldnt they implement the ritz as a refurbished and modernised cinema into the new grand arcade? it would have been a fantastic feature for the mall attracting young to the movies and the older generation the fans of the ritz to the grand arcade for a chance to re live the fantastic ritz experience. Many of the new shopping centres have cinemas built within them, why not us in wigan.
oh and further more anyone with photos please email them to me, chris wigan 24, thankyou