There were four other cinemas in Ashington up until the 60s-70s – the Buffalo. the Regal, the Pavilion and the Wallaw, all owned by the Wallaw chain founded by the local businessman Walter Lawson. The Pavilion is now a Bingo venue. The Regal was demolished in the 70s and the others are now retail facilities.
I grew up in Stakeford in the 50s and 60s and was a regular there, especially at Kids' Matinees on Saturday Afternoons. The “Lyric” – although no-one called it that: everyone called it “The Fret”, the local word for sea-mist- wasn’t a purpose built cinema. The space was rented from the trustees of the War Memorial Hall which was opened in the 1920s and also contained sports facilities and a library. At that time, the manager was Jim Arkle, who lived in nearby Dereham Terrace. The Lyric closed as a cinema in the late 60s and the space is now used as a community facility and meeting-place.
There were four other cinemas in Ashington up until the 60s-70s – the Buffalo. the Regal, the Pavilion and the Wallaw, all owned by the Wallaw chain founded by the local businessman Walter Lawson. The Pavilion is now a Bingo venue. The Regal was demolished in the 70s and the others are now retail facilities.
I grew up in Stakeford in the 50s and 60s and was a regular there, especially at Kids' Matinees on Saturday Afternoons. The “Lyric” – although no-one called it that: everyone called it “The Fret”, the local word for sea-mist- wasn’t a purpose built cinema. The space was rented from the trustees of the War Memorial Hall which was opened in the 1920s and also contained sports facilities and a library. At that time, the manager was Jim Arkle, who lived in nearby Dereham Terrace. The Lyric closed as a cinema in the late 60s and the space is now used as a community facility and meeting-place.