Essoldo Shildon
Station Street,
Shildon,
DL4
Station Street,
Shildon,
DL4
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Photo added.
Photo uploaded.
Photo uploaded.
See page 7 of ‘The Shildon & District Town Crier’ Issue 852 :–
http://www.swd.news/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2018/01/Town-Crier-issue-852.pdf
You may recognise me on here, Moira; there are various photos – some going back to the ‘year dot’ :–
https://www.facebook.com/terry.charnock
Anyway, I take this opportunity to wish you a good 2018!
Yes I seem to remember a Terence Charnock but no recollection of a face ,sorry. So cinema was in your family too. Very nice to hear from you and reading your fond memories.
Hi again, Moira. I am Terry Charnock and I remember you at King James School. My dad at one time was Chief Projectionist at Shildon Hippodrome and I went into the business myself in the early 1970’s and managed, among others, the former Newcastle Essoldo when it became an ABC.
Yes us grandchildren are well thanks. Trying to place you, can you give a surname to jog my memory?
I remember you all and the Essoldo with great affection, Moira.
I saw some of the greatest films there including ‘Sink the Bismarck’, ‘The Ten Commandments’, ‘Cleopatra’, ‘South Pacific’ and scores of others. It is sad to see the empty spot now and hard to imagine the escapism we enjoyed.
I hope that you are keeping well.
I was born and raised at the Essoldo, my grandfather was the manager Mr C Watson. My sister and I still love to remember the steam trains passing as we played at being usherettes and shining the torch to show patrons to their seats in the dark. The twins who always sat in the back stalls, shouting “they’re behind you” at the Cowboys and Indians movies. The front rows of boisterous lads who every week got thrown out by my grandfather, and then called us the ‘ flea pit kids’ and duly roughed me up for getting thrown out. I helped to sell the Kia ora orange drinks, Hoggetts crisps, Fry chocolate cream. My mother sold the tickets, my father was part time projectionist and woe betide if the film snapped. The lights went on, the boo’s and stamping of feet was deafening until the film was joined,lights went down and everyone cheered. Glorious days, my childhood.
Photo uploaded
2 images uploaded including a very rare one of the old place whilst still open in 1967.
Image uploaded.
Photo uploaded which must have been taken soon after closure in 1969 as the sign is intact on the front of house.
A 1977 photo of a goods train passing the old cinema (on the Stockton & Darlington line) uploaded to photos section.
Photo taken during the Stockton & Darlington Railway 150th Anniversary 1975 uploaded.
One would imagine that this long forgotten, insignificant cinema would have a history to match its very low status in the world of cinemas.
It was, however, the original Mechanics Institute built by the Stockton & Darlington Railway shortly after inauguration in 1825.
The Institute transferred to new larger premises on Byerley Road in, presumably, 1915 when the older building on Station Street became the Peoples' Cinema.
I have uploaded to the photos section an image dating back to the building’s Institute days and it is clear to see how highly industrialised that area once was. It appears to have been taken from the footbridge ( now at Beamish Museum) at the other side of which was a cinema with an equally chequered history, the Rex which closed in 1958. Perhaps someone knows enough about this one to add it to the site….
Even I can clearly remember the sound of shunting and passing trains while films were showing and if an usherette or patron happened to open the stalls doors (we did not always sit in the circle) during such manoeuvres it was not unusual to smell that unique combination of steam, oil and smoke from the steam locomotives. Our very own real life ‘Smallest Show on Earth’!
This area now forms part of the ‘Heritage Trail’ in conjunction with ‘Locomotion’ , The National Railway Museum’s second site in the UK.
What a pity that the Essoldo did not survive long enough to be restored to form an integral part of this heritage. Only a vacant site with a few trees and seats marks the spot today.
Image uploaded to photos section.
It closed in 1969 together with the Essoldos in Crook and Spennymoor; the Manager, Mr C Watson, whom I got to know quite well in later years (he went to manage the very busy Durham Essoldo after Shildon) told me that he and the Managers of the other two doomed cinemas received telephone calls from Head Office advising that “You are closing next Saturday!”. Typical of Essoldo!