ABC Huddersfield

This really was a beautiful cinema, the frontage was of dressed portland stone, infact it was indeed 'top quality' It was constructed by the local building firm, Wimpennys (Slaithwaite). I do believe some photographs of the 1936 interiors do exist amongst the archives in Huddersfield public library. As a child it was a 'real' treat to be taken to eat in the restaurant by my grandparents before the early evening film performance. A lot of us from school were weekly attenders of the 'ABC Minors' every saturday morning. Infact in the winter we would spend a whole saturday at 'the pictures' often moving down to The Princess or The Empire for the afternoon shows. A lot of controversy (whats new !) surrounded the demolition of 'The Ritz' at the time. Plans had already been drawn up buy the architecture department at the then Huddersfield Polytechic for conversion of the ABC to an Arts Centre/theatre, which included the retention of ABC 2 (in the former stalls) area for film use & the full 'raking' of the auditorium for theatre use together with frontal extension of the stage. The site belongs to the local authority, and it is believed that the demolition order was passed at the '11th hour' on the 'casting' vote of the chairman of the planning commitee. It was also 'rumoured' that he was related to the owners of the company that demolished the building. But of course this was all rumour and heresay- such is politics!

Spent three very happy years at the ABC Huddersfield from 1972 to 1975 when I was Assistant Manager there. In 1971 it was still a single cinema when I went there and we still had the two local Amateur Operatic Societies present their shows there, plus a few one night stands eg. The New Seekers, Charlie Williams, George Hamilton IV. During the twinning and Painted Wagon conversion, the cinema opened in the evenings only, using the old circle which on completion became ABC 1 using the original screen. Unfortunately, no access was made to the old front stalls (as Rank did with their Gaumont in Doncaster) so no more stage shows were possible

abcman

The circle seated 648, not 468.

The Wurlitzer was still in situ when my predecessor, Richard Roper was A/M there.

My former Manager, John McIntosh was A/M there in the early 1960's when it was still a major live venue; his Manager, George Skelton (whom I followed as Manager at 3 theatres, namely ABC Chester, Haymarket Newcastle and ABC Darlington) transferred to the ABC Globe, Stockton on Tees, an even more important live venue.