Following the closure of this building as a leisure venue, both the ‘Forum’ name, along with the theatre and cinema facilities, were transplanted to The Forum Theatre at Wythenshawe Civic Centre, Leningrad Square, Simonsway. It opened on 3rd November 1971 and became, amongst other things, an extension for Manchester’s Library Theatre. As part of a major refurbishment, in the mid 2000s, the theatre was later ripped out and replaced by a dance studio and gym. The following photos are copyright: Ian Grundy.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/49551727776/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/49551727811/in/photostream/
July 1960, showing the main feature ‘13 Ghosts’ starring Charles Herbert & Jo Morrow. B support is the 1958 film noir ‘Screaming Mimi’ starring Anita Ekberg & Gypsy Rose Lee.
‘New Deansgate House’ was originally built by The Co-operative movement, as overflow accomodation for its growing presence in the city. It replaced The Deansgate Arcade. Built in the Co-op’s house style, of the time, the name continued their policy for naming many of their new-builds, across the country, as ‘New ****** House.’ The closest example, at the time, being New Century House. The ground floor, front, included a Co-op store. The letting off, of the ‘lower-ground floor’ helped finance the build. The following url is to a Manchester Libraries photo.
https://images.manchester.gov.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=4393&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=4821
When the Co-op vacated the building it was renamed International House and the store became occupied by Fine Art Developments, of Holmes Chapel, trading as FADS. Since that company’s demise, the frontage has been split into various catering establishments.
Whilst the cinema existed there was also access at the rear, onto Parsonage Gardens.
A much more detailed history of the building, along with some wonderful photos, is available here: https://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/10/delving-into-the-history-of-the-dancehouse-manchester-discover-more-about-the-past-of-this-impressive-building-on-oxford-road-b996
This 1967 photo shows only the extreme right hand end of The Wycliffe Cinema’s marquee. Accidentally included in a photo of Barry’s gent’s outfitters (now defunct) the poster shows the current programme as being Don’t Lose Your Head, starring Sid James and Kenneth Williams. Based, loosely, on the French revolution, this was the first of the Carry-On series produced by Rank. It was initially released without the Carry-On prefix but, due to demand, it was added shortly afterwards.
The ‘B’ feature was the American film; The Reluctant Astronaut, starring comedian Don Knotts.
When converted to Trafford Car Auctions, the front stalls were removed and a large portal knocked into both side walls. The stage area became the auctioneer’s podium and the vehicles were driven through where the front stalls had been. The raked rear stalls were retained, giving prospective buyers an exellent view of proceedings.
The building was demolished in 1997 and the site is now occupied by a ‘Club 3000’ bingo hall.
During the building’s period as a night-club it was, for a time, so successful that parking became a real problem. The management duly achieved compulsory purchase of several, very attractive family homes, immediately adjacent to the left side of the building. These were then quickly burnt out and demolished, in order to lay the present car-park!
Following the demise of Kwik Save, the supermarket was taken over by the Asian owned S.M.S. chain, who later adopted the, Co-op owned, Nisa Extra franchise. It was at this time that the upper, front facade, including the projection box, was removed.
Finaly, ownership has now passed to Tesco’s, who now operate it under their Booker Group, off-brand,‘Family Shopper’ identity. The right-hand part of the property, once the cafe, is now a carpet store.
The Palace Cinema, King Street was opened on 11 December 1911 and was Farnworth’s first purpose built cinema. It had 764 seats and the Farnworth Journal described it as having ‘a generous allowance of room for those who occupy the 2d and 4d places, every corner having its own tip up seat, whilst the 6d seats covered in pegamoid, and the 9d ones in red velvet are luxurious’. The cinema closed on 8 November 1958 leaving three cinemas in Farnworth, the Hippodrome, the Savoy and the Ritz. The last film was Richard Widmark in The Last Wagon (‘Nothing could stop the last wagon coming through’). The cinema made way for extensions to Mellings Bakery.
A wonderful theatre. As a child, I was taken to ‘The Hip’ each year, by my maternal grandmother, to see the Christmas pantomime. I missed it when it closed. The wreckage, following the fire, distressed me and I was happy to see it demolished.
The site is now a car-park surrounded by large advertising hoardings. Ironically, the largest and most prominamt regularly promotes new cinema and theatre shows.
In answer to joncas, above, the entrance on Hyde Road was a common ploy used where many cinemas were located at busy corners. Though the main frontage is on Stockport Road, it was originally thought advantageous for the building to also have a presence on Hyde Road, directly opposite the popular Manchester Hippodrome theatre. As Ken’s photos show, with the removal of all the surrounding shops and cafes, this now looks very odd. In the original context it looked rather splendid. Both entrances were, originally, similarly decorated and both contained box-offices. The Hyde Road entrance also gave access to the integral cafe and ballroom. Some attempts were made to run it as a separate venue but it is currently abandoned.
When it was converted to be ‘The Theatre Royal Cinerama’ the Cinerama projection screen, rather than being a continuous surface like most screens, was made of hundreds of individual vertical strips of standard, high reflectivity screen material, each about 22mm wide, with each strip angled to face the audience. This was so as to prevent light scattered from one end of the deeply curved screen from reflecting across and washing out the image on the opposite end. Sadly, this gave the picture a striated appearance. The show also featured a, pre-Dolby, seven-track, directional, surround-sound system, such that sounds always appeared to be coming from their intended source.
The original system involved shooting with three 25mm synchronized cameras sharing a single shutter. This process was later abandoned in favor of a system using a single, anamorphic lens camera and 70mm film. The three cameras were mounted as one unit, set at 48 degrees to each other. The single rotating shutter, in front of the three lenses, assured simultaneous exposure on each of the films. The three angled cameras photographed an image that was not only three times as wide as a standard film but covered 146 degrees of arc, close to the human field of vision, including peripheral. The image was photographed six sprocket holes high, rather than the usual four used in conventional 35 mm processes. The picture was also photographed and projected at 26 frames per second rather than the usual 24, for better persistence overlap.
Cinerama film was originally projected from three separate projection boxes, arranged in the same crisscross pattern as the cameras. There was a visible overlap of the screen images, which was somewhat distracting. Any slight projection vibration resulted in a noticable loss of convergence. The single, anamorphic, 70mm system addressed all the major problems, and the two extra projection boxes were removed. At The Theatre Royal Cinerama I got to see ‘How The West Was Won’ in both systems. They were both equally impressive, but not enough to keep me going back. The main feature was usually preceded by the demonstration film ‘This is Cinerama.’
What isn’t generally appreciated is that during the 1977 rebuild, by the Cameron Mackintosh organisation, the ‘new stage-house,’ mentioned by Ken Roe, was actually extended across the rear, service alleyway and into the structure of the building at the rear, Bridgewater House.
This provided a much deeper stage, enlarged production facilities and higher fly-tower. As the attached photo shows, this extension was carried out so that, externally, it does not appear to be part of the theatre. When the plans were first submitted, there was much discussion about altered sight-lines. It was questioned as to whether those patrons seated in ‘The Gods’ would actually be able to see to the back of the stage. In fact, if the full depth of the stage is utilised, they can’t; but this is rarely an issue.
When used by the BBC, it was known as The BBC Northern Playhouse Theatre. It was set up, and used, as a recording studio to produce radio broadcasts requiring a live studio audience, there being no space at the small Manchester Broadcasting House in Piccadilly. The stage was stripped back of all decoration and contained only a band-stand surrounded by wooden sound baffles, both moveable and fixed. Lighting was by ambient, white bulbs only. There being no need for anything else. There were no wing or tableau curtains. There was a large, glass fronted box in the rear stalls. This being the Control Room, frequented by the TOs (Technical Officers) who’s job it was to mix and record the sound output for subsequent broadcast. When I first visited the building, in 1964, it was as a very new GPO telephone engineer, fresh out of my apprenticeship. My task was to provide a new Private Circuit from BH (Broadcasting House) Piccadilly, to The Playhouse theatre. Having completed all the preliminary work at BH, I presented myself at The Playouse. The doorman kept me in the foyer, for a while, before escorting me to the front stalls. Here I was told to sit and wait - and to be quiet! Nina & Frederik were on stage, rehearsing and recording some tracks. Apart from the TOs, in the box, I was their audience of one. Microphones and their associated cabling were everywhere, including ones above my head to record audience reaction. I did try to keep quiet but, after one track I forgot myself and applauded. It had to be done again! When the duo had finished their set, the doorman led me through a small door, to the right of the stage, and down into the basement. Directly beneath the stage were a row of dressing rooms. Despite there being no need, these were still complete with makeup tables and mirrors surrounded by light-bulbs. Above each mirror, in a plain batten-holder, was a red, pygmy bulb. I was shown where to install the red telephone I’d brought, and told that when the red lights were on I must make no noise. At the end of each narrow dressing room was a removable wall panel. These led into a slim access tunnel, directly beneath the stage apron. It was down this tunnel I would be running my cabling which, with hammer and staples, I proceeded to do. Halfway thrugh my task, I became aware of a banging above my head. Shortly thereafter, a head appeared from one of the dressing rooms. It demanded to know why I was ‘ignoring the red light.’ Apparently, ‘Mr. Herrman was trying to rehearse the NDO.’ Mr Herrman was, of course, Mr. Bernard Herrman, leader of the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra. And so, my job proceeded sporadically, only in the periods when the ‘red light’ was off. My second visit to the building was in 1967, as part of a studio audience. I had got free tickets, for myself and my girlfriend, to witness a recording session of ‘The Move,’ primarily for a lunctime radio show but also for the BBC recordings library. In the auditorium the sound was dreadful. On the subsequent radio show, it was perfect. Coincidentally, in one of life’s strange twists, my second wife (now ex) is Roy Wood’s cousin!
I only ever knew this house as The York and visited it in the 50s with my cousin, who lived nearby, whenever I stayed over on weekends.
My one lasting impression of the place was that it had a very small, postage stamp, screen compared to others I frequented.
As a correction to John’s synopsis, above: The building’s use as a ‘Tramshed’ actually ceased in 1903 but it was retained for other purposes, by the Manchester Carriage & Tramways Company, as a riding school and livery stables. (OMNIBUSES and CARRIAGES of every description, on hire at resonable rates.)In 1924 it became the Rusholme Repertory Theatre.
I, too, fail to recognise the above photo. The Rusholme Cinema, or just ‘The Rush,’ to the locals, had the tidiest exterior of the three houses on that stretch of The Curry Mile. Following the demolition of the wrought-iron arcade, shown in the other photos, the building became set-back from the road, with a wide paving in front.
Following demolition, the site remains anything but ‘vacant’ as stated. Vacant of a building it may be, but sited as it is, directly opposite the stem of a very busy ’T' junction, it now earns more regular revenue than it ever did as a cinema. It is a prime advertising site, leased to the agency Classic Channel. It hosts two large hoardings, one of which is now a digital TV screen. Sadly, during 2016 it was allowed to become run-down due to lack of maintenance. That has since been addressed.
Operated by G B Snape’s, Snape’s Cinema Circuits of Pendlebury.
Projection equipment was a pair of SUPAs, converted to argon lamps. The transport take-up was reversed, requiring a half twist on rewind.
When I helped out there the bowden cable, cross connecting the projector shutters, had broken. Rather than replace it, the chief operator had rigged an alternative system across the insides of the box ports. This comprised a length of electrical conduit tubing, loosely supported in saddles. From this tubing hung two squares of asbestos. On the change, the tubing was grasped and slid sideways. Thus covering one port and exposing the other. Crude but effective.
Instead of tabs, the proscenium had a ruched blind. Under the orange floods it looked extremely sumptious and much more classy than some other houses.
Located just off Church Street, behind a row of terraced houses, no-one in Westhoughton ever called this cinema ‘The Palace.’
It always remained known, until closure, as ‘The Rink.’
Originally run by the Walker family, Mr. Walker doubled as manager and projectionist. His wife sold the tickets and doubled as usherette.
The billiard hall was upstairs, over the auditorium. Players regularly walked down the aisle, during shows and carrying their cue-cases, to reach the stairs via a door next to the stage. It is said that it was common to hear the sound of rolling balls and pacing feet over the film sound-track.
Following closure, the premises was gutted and became a wood-yard and sawmill for many years, before being cleared for housing.
During the UK’s second, big TV snooker revival, when both Tony Knowles and John Spencer had successful halls in the Bolton area, this ex-cinema found its second use.
Refurbished and rigged out with 15 modern tables, it was a reasonably successful Snooker Club until the fad faded. The fixtures and fittings were then sold off and the premises stood empty for several years.
The small shops, either side of the facade, continued in business as a pizza/kebab shop and gent’s barbers, respectively.
In 2014 the building was purchased by Hindley based developers, Littler & Associates. It was then demolished and plans submitted for a small housing development. The application was refused.
A modified plan was then submitted, which addressed the previous objections, but this application, too, was refused.
During most this time, the shop premises to the immediate right of the site had operated, under various names, as Westhoughton’s main Off Licence drinks retailer. This closed, due to competition from a discount outlet nearby, and then became a pet shop.
The pet shop then gave way to a continental style bar; ‘The Beer School.’ This did good business until hit by the 2020 Covid 19 pandemic regulations. Being only a small premises, with little more than standing room, it faced closure for the duration, unless it could come up with a way around the regulations. So in the summer of 2020 the adjacent derelict cinema site was outfitted as a beer garden. With rough tables and benches knocked up from old pallets, it did booming trade during the summer months.
Around 2000, this former cinema was converted into T J’s Gym. The facade remained the original white but the wrought-iron work and marquee had long been removed. It was looking decidedly run down. The only sign of the original name, at this time, was the name of the newsagents to the right of the entrance. ‘Palace News.’ In 2008, the facade was scaffolded (see photos) and given a much needed refurbishment. Repainted in magnolia, it became ‘The Wigan & Ashton Gymnastics Club,’ In 2015 it was repainted, yet again, in a khaki colour, and shortly afterwards became a dance school. ‘The Hurst Dance Studio.’ The newsagents became a fireworks shop, called ‘Palace Fireworks,’aka ‘A&S Fireworks.’
The ‘Majestic Ballroom’ became better known to all its clientelle as The Majestic Club, or just ‘The Majestic.’ The original stage and proscenium were used, with the raked flooring levelled. The stage front was fitted with a full width Run-Out. This was manually operated, by several burly doormen dragging it out on castors. Thus it could switch from disco to cabaret.
It was so popular that the nearby youth club gave its success as the reason they were forced to close, due to lack of support.
Refitted, as a proper cabaret club, by Joe Pullen and Fred Talbot, it began to book increasingly up-market acts. Initially it served snacks, including the usual ‘Chicken in a Basket’ to fulfill the licencing laws, but there were ambitions to convert it to full dinner-club format. To achieve the refit it became necessary to close for a while. To maintain income, during this interim period, the business was transferred temporarily, to the nearby skating rink, close to the Palladium Cinema. The rink was renamed the Rainbow Rooms.
When The Talk of the North reopened, the old proscenium and stage were gone. Tiered seating, with tables, were arranged around the three sides of a large hydraulic, Thrust Stage, on the left-hand side of the main room. This stage could descend into the basement, where the dressing rooms were situated, and rise up complete with bands or acts ready to perform. Certain areas of the stage could also rise to different heights, to form steps and rostrums. It could also be made fully flat for disco dancing.
Certain areas of the building did remain hampered, however, by some aspects of the original cinema’s architecture.
One night, it burned down and, for reasons of safety, it was demolished except for about fifteen feet of the original perimeter wall. The front wall, complete with boarded-up doors, windows and announcement boards, remained a sad reminder for several years, pending rebuild.
When ‘The Talk’ was finally rebuilt, it was the club it should always have been, but it was too late. The scene had moved on and the business never recovered its former glory.
In 1984, as stated, it became Randy’s Fun Bar and Disco. It closed for good two years later.
Following the closure of this building as a leisure venue, both the ‘Forum’ name, along with the theatre and cinema facilities, were transplanted to The Forum Theatre at Wythenshawe Civic Centre, Leningrad Square, Simonsway. It opened on 3rd November 1971 and became, amongst other things, an extension for Manchester’s Library Theatre. As part of a major refurbishment, in the mid 2000s, the theatre was later ripped out and replaced by a dance studio and gym. The following photos are copyright: Ian Grundy. https://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/49551727776/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/49551727811/in/photostream/
The site is now a used car lot which incorporates the closed and converted, adjacent Eagle Hotel.
On November 2020, the main entrance and right frontage became a Co-op food store.
Co-op Funeralcare moved out of the building 2019/2020. It has since stood empty.
July 1960, showing the main feature ‘13 Ghosts’ starring Charles Herbert & Jo Morrow. B support is the 1958 film noir ‘Screaming Mimi’ starring Anita Ekberg & Gypsy Rose Lee.
‘New Deansgate House’ was originally built by The Co-operative movement, as overflow accomodation for its growing presence in the city. It replaced The Deansgate Arcade. Built in the Co-op’s house style, of the time, the name continued their policy for naming many of their new-builds, across the country, as ‘New ****** House.’ The closest example, at the time, being New Century House. The ground floor, front, included a Co-op store. The letting off, of the ‘lower-ground floor’ helped finance the build. The following url is to a Manchester Libraries photo. https://images.manchester.gov.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=4393&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=4821
When the Co-op vacated the building it was renamed International House and the store became occupied by Fine Art Developments, of Holmes Chapel, trading as FADS. Since that company’s demise, the frontage has been split into various catering establishments. Whilst the cinema existed there was also access at the rear, onto Parsonage Gardens.
A much more detailed history of the building, along with some wonderful photos, is available here: https://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2019/10/delving-into-the-history-of-the-dancehouse-manchester-discover-more-about-the-past-of-this-impressive-building-on-oxford-road-b996
The above photo is of The Electric Theatre, on Deansgate, Bolton, not Manchester!
This 1967 photo shows only the extreme right hand end of The Wycliffe Cinema’s marquee. Accidentally included in a photo of Barry’s gent’s outfitters (now defunct) the poster shows the current programme as being Don’t Lose Your Head, starring Sid James and Kenneth Williams. Based, loosely, on the French revolution, this was the first of the Carry-On series produced by Rank. It was initially released without the Carry-On prefix but, due to demand, it was added shortly afterwards. The ‘B’ feature was the American film; The Reluctant Astronaut, starring comedian Don Knotts.
When converted to Trafford Car Auctions, the front stalls were removed and a large portal knocked into both side walls. The stage area became the auctioneer’s podium and the vehicles were driven through where the front stalls had been. The raked rear stalls were retained, giving prospective buyers an exellent view of proceedings. The building was demolished in 1997 and the site is now occupied by a ‘Club 3000’ bingo hall.
During the building’s period as a night-club it was, for a time, so successful that parking became a real problem. The management duly achieved compulsory purchase of several, very attractive family homes, immediately adjacent to the left side of the building. These were then quickly burnt out and demolished, in order to lay the present car-park! Following the demise of Kwik Save, the supermarket was taken over by the Asian owned S.M.S. chain, who later adopted the, Co-op owned, Nisa Extra franchise. It was at this time that the upper, front facade, including the projection box, was removed. Finaly, ownership has now passed to Tesco’s, who now operate it under their Booker Group, off-brand,‘Family Shopper’ identity. The right-hand part of the property, once the cafe, is now a carpet store.
This item is copied from ‘Farnworth Paintings’:
The Palace Cinema, King Street was opened on 11 December 1911 and was Farnworth’s first purpose built cinema. It had 764 seats and the Farnworth Journal described it as having ‘a generous allowance of room for those who occupy the 2d and 4d places, every corner having its own tip up seat, whilst the 6d seats covered in pegamoid, and the 9d ones in red velvet are luxurious’. The cinema closed on 8 November 1958 leaving three cinemas in Farnworth, the Hippodrome, the Savoy and the Ritz. The last film was Richard Widmark in The Last Wagon (‘Nothing could stop the last wagon coming through’). The cinema made way for extensions to Mellings Bakery.
A wonderful theatre. As a child, I was taken to ‘The Hip’ each year, by my maternal grandmother, to see the Christmas pantomime. I missed it when it closed. The wreckage, following the fire, distressed me and I was happy to see it demolished.
The site is now a car-park surrounded by large advertising hoardings. Ironically, the largest and most prominamt regularly promotes new cinema and theatre shows.
In answer to joncas, above, the entrance on Hyde Road was a common ploy used where many cinemas were located at busy corners. Though the main frontage is on Stockport Road, it was originally thought advantageous for the building to also have a presence on Hyde Road, directly opposite the popular Manchester Hippodrome theatre. As Ken’s photos show, with the removal of all the surrounding shops and cafes, this now looks very odd. In the original context it looked rather splendid. Both entrances were, originally, similarly decorated and both contained box-offices. The Hyde Road entrance also gave access to the integral cafe and ballroom. Some attempts were made to run it as a separate venue but it is currently abandoned.
When it was converted to be ‘The Theatre Royal Cinerama’ the Cinerama projection screen, rather than being a continuous surface like most screens, was made of hundreds of individual vertical strips of standard, high reflectivity screen material, each about 22mm wide, with each strip angled to face the audience. This was so as to prevent light scattered from one end of the deeply curved screen from reflecting across and washing out the image on the opposite end. Sadly, this gave the picture a striated appearance. The show also featured a, pre-Dolby, seven-track, directional, surround-sound system, such that sounds always appeared to be coming from their intended source.
The original system involved shooting with three 25mm synchronized cameras sharing a single shutter. This process was later abandoned in favor of a system using a single, anamorphic lens camera and 70mm film. The three cameras were mounted as one unit, set at 48 degrees to each other. The single rotating shutter, in front of the three lenses, assured simultaneous exposure on each of the films. The three angled cameras photographed an image that was not only three times as wide as a standard film but covered 146 degrees of arc, close to the human field of vision, including peripheral. The image was photographed six sprocket holes high, rather than the usual four used in conventional 35 mm processes. The picture was also photographed and projected at 26 frames per second rather than the usual 24, for better persistence overlap.
Cinerama film was originally projected from three separate projection boxes, arranged in the same crisscross pattern as the cameras. There was a visible overlap of the screen images, which was somewhat distracting. Any slight projection vibration resulted in a noticable loss of convergence. The single, anamorphic, 70mm system addressed all the major problems, and the two extra projection boxes were removed. At The Theatre Royal Cinerama I got to see ‘How The West Was Won’ in both systems. They were both equally impressive, but not enough to keep me going back. The main feature was usually preceded by the demonstration film ‘This is Cinerama.’
What isn’t generally appreciated is that during the 1977 rebuild, by the Cameron Mackintosh organisation, the ‘new stage-house,’ mentioned by Ken Roe, was actually extended across the rear, service alleyway and into the structure of the building at the rear, Bridgewater House. This provided a much deeper stage, enlarged production facilities and higher fly-tower. As the attached photo shows, this extension was carried out so that, externally, it does not appear to be part of the theatre. When the plans were first submitted, there was much discussion about altered sight-lines. It was questioned as to whether those patrons seated in ‘The Gods’ would actually be able to see to the back of the stage. In fact, if the full depth of the stage is utilised, they can’t; but this is rarely an issue.
When used by the BBC, it was known as The BBC Northern Playhouse Theatre. It was set up, and used, as a recording studio to produce radio broadcasts requiring a live studio audience, there being no space at the small Manchester Broadcasting House in Piccadilly. The stage was stripped back of all decoration and contained only a band-stand surrounded by wooden sound baffles, both moveable and fixed. Lighting was by ambient, white bulbs only. There being no need for anything else. There were no wing or tableau curtains. There was a large, glass fronted box in the rear stalls. This being the Control Room, frequented by the TOs (Technical Officers) who’s job it was to mix and record the sound output for subsequent broadcast. When I first visited the building, in 1964, it was as a very new GPO telephone engineer, fresh out of my apprenticeship. My task was to provide a new Private Circuit from BH (Broadcasting House) Piccadilly, to The Playhouse theatre. Having completed all the preliminary work at BH, I presented myself at The Playouse. The doorman kept me in the foyer, for a while, before escorting me to the front stalls. Here I was told to sit and wait - and to be quiet! Nina & Frederik were on stage, rehearsing and recording some tracks. Apart from the TOs, in the box, I was their audience of one. Microphones and their associated cabling were everywhere, including ones above my head to record audience reaction. I did try to keep quiet but, after one track I forgot myself and applauded. It had to be done again! When the duo had finished their set, the doorman led me through a small door, to the right of the stage, and down into the basement. Directly beneath the stage were a row of dressing rooms. Despite there being no need, these were still complete with makeup tables and mirrors surrounded by light-bulbs. Above each mirror, in a plain batten-holder, was a red, pygmy bulb. I was shown where to install the red telephone I’d brought, and told that when the red lights were on I must make no noise. At the end of each narrow dressing room was a removable wall panel. These led into a slim access tunnel, directly beneath the stage apron. It was down this tunnel I would be running my cabling which, with hammer and staples, I proceeded to do. Halfway thrugh my task, I became aware of a banging above my head. Shortly thereafter, a head appeared from one of the dressing rooms. It demanded to know why I was ‘ignoring the red light.’ Apparently, ‘Mr. Herrman was trying to rehearse the NDO.’ Mr Herrman was, of course, Mr. Bernard Herrman, leader of the BBC Northern Dance Orchestra. And so, my job proceeded sporadically, only in the periods when the ‘red light’ was off. My second visit to the building was in 1967, as part of a studio audience. I had got free tickets, for myself and my girlfriend, to witness a recording session of ‘The Move,’ primarily for a lunctime radio show but also for the BBC recordings library. In the auditorium the sound was dreadful. On the subsequent radio show, it was perfect. Coincidentally, in one of life’s strange twists, my second wife (now ex) is Roy Wood’s cousin!
I only ever knew this house as The York and visited it in the 50s with my cousin, who lived nearby, whenever I stayed over on weekends. My one lasting impression of the place was that it had a very small, postage stamp, screen compared to others I frequented.
As a correction to John’s synopsis, above: The building’s use as a ‘Tramshed’ actually ceased in 1903 but it was retained for other purposes, by the Manchester Carriage & Tramways Company, as a riding school and livery stables. (OMNIBUSES and CARRIAGES of every description, on hire at resonable rates.)In 1924 it became the Rusholme Repertory Theatre. I, too, fail to recognise the above photo. The Rusholme Cinema, or just ‘The Rush,’ to the locals, had the tidiest exterior of the three houses on that stretch of The Curry Mile. Following the demolition of the wrought-iron arcade, shown in the other photos, the building became set-back from the road, with a wide paving in front.
Following demolition, the site remains anything but ‘vacant’ as stated. Vacant of a building it may be, but sited as it is, directly opposite the stem of a very busy ’T' junction, it now earns more regular revenue than it ever did as a cinema. It is a prime advertising site, leased to the agency Classic Channel. It hosts two large hoardings, one of which is now a digital TV screen. Sadly, during 2016 it was allowed to become run-down due to lack of maintenance. That has since been addressed.
Operated by G B Snape’s, Snape’s Cinema Circuits of Pendlebury. Projection equipment was a pair of SUPAs, converted to argon lamps. The transport take-up was reversed, requiring a half twist on rewind. When I helped out there the bowden cable, cross connecting the projector shutters, had broken. Rather than replace it, the chief operator had rigged an alternative system across the insides of the box ports. This comprised a length of electrical conduit tubing, loosely supported in saddles. From this tubing hung two squares of asbestos. On the change, the tubing was grasped and slid sideways. Thus covering one port and exposing the other. Crude but effective. Instead of tabs, the proscenium had a ruched blind. Under the orange floods it looked extremely sumptious and much more classy than some other houses.
Located just off Church Street, behind a row of terraced houses, no-one in Westhoughton ever called this cinema ‘The Palace.’ It always remained known, until closure, as ‘The Rink.’ Originally run by the Walker family, Mr. Walker doubled as manager and projectionist. His wife sold the tickets and doubled as usherette. The billiard hall was upstairs, over the auditorium. Players regularly walked down the aisle, during shows and carrying their cue-cases, to reach the stairs via a door next to the stage. It is said that it was common to hear the sound of rolling balls and pacing feet over the film sound-track. Following closure, the premises was gutted and became a wood-yard and sawmill for many years, before being cleared for housing.
During the UK’s second, big TV snooker revival, when both Tony Knowles and John Spencer had successful halls in the Bolton area, this ex-cinema found its second use. Refurbished and rigged out with 15 modern tables, it was a reasonably successful Snooker Club until the fad faded. The fixtures and fittings were then sold off and the premises stood empty for several years. The small shops, either side of the facade, continued in business as a pizza/kebab shop and gent’s barbers, respectively. In 2014 the building was purchased by Hindley based developers, Littler & Associates. It was then demolished and plans submitted for a small housing development. The application was refused. A modified plan was then submitted, which addressed the previous objections, but this application, too, was refused. During most this time, the shop premises to the immediate right of the site had operated, under various names, as Westhoughton’s main Off Licence drinks retailer. This closed, due to competition from a discount outlet nearby, and then became a pet shop. The pet shop then gave way to a continental style bar; ‘The Beer School.’ This did good business until hit by the 2020 Covid 19 pandemic regulations. Being only a small premises, with little more than standing room, it faced closure for the duration, unless it could come up with a way around the regulations. So in the summer of 2020 the adjacent derelict cinema site was outfitted as a beer garden. With rough tables and benches knocked up from old pallets, it did booming trade during the summer months.
UKmender
Around 2000, this former cinema was converted into T J’s Gym. The facade remained the original white but the wrought-iron work and marquee had long been removed. It was looking decidedly run down. The only sign of the original name, at this time, was the name of the newsagents to the right of the entrance. ‘Palace News.’ In 2008, the facade was scaffolded (see photos) and given a much needed refurbishment. Repainted in magnolia, it became ‘The Wigan & Ashton Gymnastics Club,’ In 2015 it was repainted, yet again, in a khaki colour, and shortly afterwards became a dance school. ‘The Hurst Dance Studio.’ The newsagents became a fireworks shop, called ‘Palace Fireworks,’aka ‘A&S Fireworks.’
The ‘Majestic Ballroom’ became better known to all its clientelle as The Majestic Club, or just ‘The Majestic.’ The original stage and proscenium were used, with the raked flooring levelled. The stage front was fitted with a full width Run-Out. This was manually operated, by several burly doormen dragging it out on castors. Thus it could switch from disco to cabaret. It was so popular that the nearby youth club gave its success as the reason they were forced to close, due to lack of support.
Refitted, as a proper cabaret club, by Joe Pullen and Fred Talbot, it began to book increasingly up-market acts. Initially it served snacks, including the usual ‘Chicken in a Basket’ to fulfill the licencing laws, but there were ambitions to convert it to full dinner-club format. To achieve the refit it became necessary to close for a while. To maintain income, during this interim period, the business was transferred temporarily, to the nearby skating rink, close to the Palladium Cinema. The rink was renamed the Rainbow Rooms.
When The Talk of the North reopened, the old proscenium and stage were gone. Tiered seating, with tables, were arranged around the three sides of a large hydraulic, Thrust Stage, on the left-hand side of the main room. This stage could descend into the basement, where the dressing rooms were situated, and rise up complete with bands or acts ready to perform. Certain areas of the stage could also rise to different heights, to form steps and rostrums. It could also be made fully flat for disco dancing. Certain areas of the building did remain hampered, however, by some aspects of the original cinema’s architecture. One night, it burned down and, for reasons of safety, it was demolished except for about fifteen feet of the original perimeter wall. The front wall, complete with boarded-up doors, windows and announcement boards, remained a sad reminder for several years, pending rebuild. When ‘The Talk’ was finally rebuilt, it was the club it should always have been, but it was too late. The scene had moved on and the business never recovered its former glory. In 1984, as stated, it became Randy’s Fun Bar and Disco. It closed for good two years later.