Palace Cinema

In the Lancashire town of Great Harwood, northeast of Blackburn, it is not known when the Palace Cinema opened. I believe this large building started life as a skating rink, and was also a snooker hall at some time.

It is also believed that the there was no rake on the wooden floor. There were double (‘courting’) seats at the rear. The screen appears to have been set up halfway down the hall, and rear projection was used. There was an illuminated clock to the right of the screen, with advertising for local bookmaker Horace Birch.

The 1914 Kinematograph Year Book listed the Universe Palace, but with no other details. Whether that was ‘this’ Palace is not known. The 1927 edition did list this Palace Cinema, with the owner being Palace (Great Harwood) Ltd.

By the 1940 edition the owner was North Cheshire Amusements Ltd. This company was also listed in the 1954 edition.

It is not known when the Palace Cinema closed (it had gone from listings by 1963). By the time I visited, in March 2006, the building was occupied by Aquascope (aquarium and pond supplies) together with other businesses.

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