Continental Cinema

The Continental Cinema was a small independent cinema which always had a strange smell of damp. Indeed as I write this, I can still remember the smell. Inside it had some delightful plasterwork and a very pretty rouched curtain. It also had twin or ‘lovers’ seats in the small balcony. Unfortunately, despite past glories it was always rather run down.

Opened as the Winton Hall in 1908 it was designed by local architect Frederick Fogarty. In December 1911 it began screening films and was re-named the Winton Electric Picture House in 1912. In 1928 it was briefly called the New and Popular Palace – Winton’s Superior Cinema but had been re-named Plaza Cinema in 1929. It was re-named Continental Cinema from 6th April 1953, specialising in foreign films with occasional special seasons of ‘classic’ films, Disney and some sexually explicit programmes. It closed on 8th June 1989 with the film “High Hopes”. The building was demolished almost immediately and the site lay empty and unused for many years.

Recently a pub named The Hop and Kilderkin has been built on the site.

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