Unit Four Cinemas

Housed a bingo club at the end too, last incarnation was as Buckingham Bingo before they moved the club to a new build.

The building was actually constructed to be integral with the new Arndale centre. Up on stilts, with shop units on the ground floor, front, and car parking under the rear, it was a 24 lane AMF bowling alley, run by the Excel chain, during the UK’s second love affair with 10 pin bowling. It opened on October 8th 1964. In the attached photo, it is seen in decline, prior to closing in July 1969. It stood empty for three years before being stripped out and converted into the Unit Four Cinemas. The original entrance, to the bowling alley, was converted into a further shop unit and the cinemas were provided with a new entrance, annexed onto the right-hand side of the building. (See the header pic.) Some time later, to meet safety requirements, a long metal fire escape was added to the side wall, behind the entrance. In the header photo, behind the cinema, can be seen the original Scan Superstore. This was run, unsuccessfully, by Debenhams, before selling out to Tesco.

I remember unit 4. Watched the great rock and roll swindle here their age policy must have been quite relaxed as I would have been under age at the time. Also remember watching Hooper here. Anyone remember the bar area ? And the crappy “local adverts” one that comes to mind was for walkden sports and sadelery a shop that was in the arcade at the time.

I remember Sam. I’d done some work for him before I went to Uni in 1968, but after that was working at Bolton Odeon, so lost touch with the Palace. If anyone remembers him, Gilbert Taylor was manager during my time. Nice to find there’s still someone who remembers the place.

I was at the Palace and I only remember the Unit4 not the criterion. Wasn’t it a bowling alley before it became Unit4? Emerys owned a cinema in Swinton, but that had closed before I was on the scene. As to the Bull’s Head, I gather that it’s now a Wetherspoons, so the berr might have improved!

Sorry to correct you, but the Palace and Unit 4 were 2 separate cinemas. The Palace is as you describe it, but was situated on the A6 next to the Bull’s Head? hotel (a Threlfalls pub with awful beer!) and was converted into a bingo hall in about 1968-9. The Unit 4 was on Bolton Rd just north of the shopping centre. My credentials for saying this are that I was the projectionist there almost up to conversion (a moonlighting job whilst I was in 6th form) It was owned by Emery’s up to conversion.