Nottingham cinemas


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First:

Re, littlebros photograph of the vast, colourful crowd assembled in the Market Square; I wonder if this had anything to do with the arrival of some visiting dignitary/ies? The Lord Mayor's and Sheriff's cars - Daimlers? - used to park outside of the Council House. Could even have been a visit by Royalty?

Next:

Cliff Ton's photograph of the Mechanics Cinema: this I find so ironic, with a man balanced high up on the step ladders and a man walking down the steps, his arm in a sling!

And finally:

Many Thanks to both Cliff Ton and Stu for letting us share these wonderful and interesting photographs of Nottingham's past. :)

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Today accompanied by Mrs C we took a nostalgic trip to the old CapitolĀ  cinema on Churchfield Lane. Last visit was in '65 when I took a young lady to see Dr Who & the Daleks. The Capitol as many i

It was the 'Ritz' Margie,.............and i'm gutted you don't remember me.

#211 & 213, katyjay will not remember the very first time she went to the pictures. I took her to the Aspley - she would have been about five. The first thing on screen was the news. When that end

Talking of grandeur, always feel such a shame they pulled this old theatre down in Arnold, The Bonnington.

NCCG000234.jpg

'The last film to be shown at the theatre was on 30th March 1957. The original 1912 building was extensively altered and rebuilt in 1930 and renamed The Bonington. It was finally demolished in April 1963 and shops built on the site; this view taken prior to demolition.'

http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?action=printdetails&keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;NCCG000234&prevUrl=

History of the Bonnington Theatre, Arnold. According to this, a circus performed there once and three elephant were walked up from Daybrook Station!

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bonington-theatre.co.uk/bon7a_files/image003.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bonington-theatre.co.uk/bon7a.htm&usg=__9nEUytgyTnhCjo48u8pyPsioKx4=&h=264&w=426&sz=27&hl=en&start=6&zoom=1&tbnid=A0yRueFGCit4mM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=126&ei=KMuXT9CBLsGq0QXGk73oBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Darnold%2Bbonington%2Btheatre%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4GGIJ_enGB440GB440%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1

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First:

Re, littlebros photograph of the vast, colourful crowd assembled in the Market Square; I wonder if this had anything to do with the arrival of some visiting dignitary/ies? The Lord Mayor's and Sheriff's cars - Daimlers? - used to park outside of the Council House. Could even have been a visit by Royalty?

:)

Hi Jackson, The photo was taken in June 1958 when Princess Alexandra visited Nottingham to open the new Clifton Bridge. The full set is elsewhere in the forum.

(Sorry Kev)

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From 'Murder Capital' thread:

On 24/04/2012 at 8:49 AM, Compo said:

I remember the Roxy and Metropole. I used to go to the matinƩe on Saturday mornings at the Metropole in the late 1950s. The Roxy was in a strange location for a cinema, being around the corner from the main road in an area where one wouldn't expect to find a picture house.

I did the Saturday morning matinee a the Metropole too in the 1960s. Remember the ABC Minors badges they used to sell? It's a bit of a (noisy) blur now but one memory is of squirming about in those seats with my first pair of (Very uncomfortable I thought) long trousers! I also remember being taken to see a band play live there who I thought were The Beach Boys - it turns out they were The Beat Men from James Street in Arnold!

Also recall being there on the morning of the Spurs v Chelsea FA Cup Final of 1967 and the compere segretating the kids into two halves to shout TOTTENHAM! and CHELSEA! at each other across the cinema.

They seemed to play this song a lot there on a Saturday morning. I'll be the compere felt like he needed takingaway by the time us lot had been dispersed on a Saturday lunchtime...

Agree with what you say about the Roxy, it was in an odd place. I mainly remember it as a bingo hall.

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Flash Gordon, cartoons, the western serial, climbing on the seats, always talking about one paying and opening the emergency exit to let his mates in - but never actually doing it, avoiding the rival gang when leaving or sometimes provoking rival gang if you had more members present ....all part of the Saturday morning matinƩe.

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Here's one I don't think I've seen mentioned on here before. I've driven and walked past it a million times but never know much about it.

851522_3c1b6964.jpg

The Old Cinema, Southwell.

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And going back to the area around the Mechanics and Moulin Rouge - this map is from the 1950s..........

peachey.jpg

You can see the Mechanics clearly marked, but I've not seen any previous mentions of the "New Victoria Cinema" shown on Shakespeare Street; and it continues round in a small way to Milton Street, and that was the entrance to the Moulin Rouge (see Stu's post #65 back up this thread)

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Seems like, as you allude to CT, this was the original name of the Moulin Rouge. Fascinating stuff.

'Because of reliable power supplies, cinemas and theatres would generate their own. Kitted out with the latest in equipment, it brought Nottingham's first purpose-built cinema, the Victoria Electric Picture House, in Milton Street.

Other innovations included a sloping floor, illuminated gangways and signage, a marble entrance vestibule and lobby, numerous ornate fittings and chandeliers, comfortable upholstered seats in blue velvet with matching curtains, drapes and carpets, plus a number of Aromovas vases, which emitted an Eau de Cologne perfume.

The proprietors provided opulent surrounds, warmth and comfort, a uniformed staff, a trio of talented musicians and a high class presentation.

The Victoria opened its doors on Thursday, March 24, 1910, having been granted a licence to show films by the council and a licence to play mechanical and live music by the Police Court.

One contemporary account claims it had a 'pianolistz' as well as a 'panotrope' and its 'Victorian orchestra', all which helped to render accompaniment to the silent pictures on view, some that included bathing belles in full colour.'

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/history-cinema-Nottingham/story-12201233-detail/story.html

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Nice map find Cliff

So originally 'The Moulin Rouge' was 'The New Victoria Cinema'?

And sent round on to Shakespear Street?0

What was 'The Queens Hall'

I assume it was named after Victoria also?

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So originally 'The Moulin Rouge' was 'The New Victoria Cinema'?

And here's proof http://www.pictureth...019076&prevUrl=

If you go back to the map; at the top there's a road called Peachey Street (which still exists) and goes off Mansfield Road and it has "Regent Hall" on it.

That Hall was apparently a cinema until the 1940s

regent.jpg

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Last film I saw at the Cavendish was Lady and the Tramp in the fifties.

Talking of map finds...Long before our time,Nottingham Prison was on the corner of Glasshouse Street.It disappeared at the beginning of the last century and King Edward Street was created where the old Central Market was...I took it for granted that the market appeared at that time...but it wasn't built until 1928.

In the meantime the first building built on King Edward Street was....An early picture house...Wonder what that was called?

737a47ae.jpg

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Interesting to see that Huntingdon Street was then called Millstone Lane.

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Talking of map finds...Long before our time,Nottingham Prison was on the corner of Glasshouse Street.It disappeared at the beginning of the last century and King Edward Street was created where the old Central Market was...I took it for granted that the market appeared at that time...but it wasn't built until 1928.

In the meantime the first building built on King Edward Street was....An early picture house...Wonder what that was called?

I hadn't come across that before, but looking at Post #35 back in this thread by Bamber several years ago, it seems to have been called the Empress

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Thanks Poohbear, I think the last film I saw there in the 50s was Tommy Steel in Butterfingers, in 1957 I think.

Another question for you: There was also a picture house at the bottom of Bath St near the Salvation Army building and opposite Bath St park where Bendigo is buried. I only lived up the road at 4 Union Cottages Union Rd, would be very grateul if you have more info

Regards: Thomas Leeming

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Great finds above.

Here's an atmospheric shot of the interior of the Mechanics Institution which became a cinema. Image dated at 1895

.

And those balcony pillars were still in place when it was a cinema...if you were late getting in you guaranteed to get stuck behind one.

Last film I saw there was War of the Worlds in the sixties.

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Anybody out there who remembers The Cavendish Picture house on St Anns-Well Rd, I think it was called that anyway.

Anybody out there who remembers The Cavendish Picture house on St Anns-Well Rd, I think it was called that anyway.

I saw the Great St Trinian's Train robbery there.

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Thanks Poohbear, I think the last film I saw there in the 50s was Tommy Steel in Butterfingers, in 1957 I think.

Another question for you: There was also a picture house at the bottom of Bath St near the Salvation Army building and opposite Bath St park where Bendigo is buried. I only lived up the road at 4 Union Cottages Union Rd, would be very grateul if you have more info

Regards: Thomas Leeming

Thomas

The cinema at the bottom of Bath St opposite the park was called the Empress I used to go there in the early 1950s and the one further up St Anns Well Rd was the Cavendish

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