Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Cinemas

Ok bit of research done, thanks to http://cinematreasures.org. no pics tho sorry, maybe If I get chance I will go out and get some of the old buildings or sites.

a few Wallasey Cinemas:

Lyceum Electric Palace Cinema/The Gaumont Palace/Unit 4 Cinemas/Apollo 6 Cinemas
Located on King street in egremont (near wallasey town hall)
The Gaumont Palace opened on 13th November 1933. It replaced the earlier Lyceum Electric Palace Cinema (1910-1931) which had been destroyed by fire.

Seating arrangements for the new Gaumont Palace was designed on a stadium plan, with a raised section at the rear instead of an overhanging circle. The auditorium walls were lined with silk tapestry and lighting was via a series of lamps hung from decorative poles attached at an angle to the walls and a series Art Deco style lay-lights in the ceiling.

The theatre was built in a quiet corner of town away from the main centre. It was taken over by Classic Cinemas from 12th December 1967 and re-named Classic Cinema. Bingo was tried briefly in 1969, but films returned and in September 1974 it was taken over by Unit 4 Cinemas who divided the auditorium into four screens in 1975. In 1979 two additional screens were installed by dividing what had been the rear raised section into three screens. Taken over by Apollo Leisure it was re-named Apollo 6 Cinemas and these continued to operate until closure came in 2000. The building was left empty until 2005 when it was demolished and a block of flats built on the site.

It was a forgotten beautiful building even at the end but the developers got hold of it. It still had a lot of its original features on its exterior and apparently some remaining inside when it was converted to 6 screens, as a shell was put into the building. The decorative stone carved panels on the front of the building by artist Frank Barnes were saved intact from the demolishers.

The Phoenix was in wallasey village opposite the junction of Sandy Lane, Wirral Villa's is now built on the old site.

The Capitol was an ABC cinema and was based in Liscard, on the junction of seview road and the liscard centre one way ring. there was a roundabout at this junction before the lights and the one was system.

The Liscard Palace Cinema was a short walk along Seaview Road from the Capitol.
Opened in 1911 as the Liscard Electric Palace in Seaview Road, Wallasey, proved to be one of the area's finest and most popular venues for film entertainment.

The cinema continued to draw crowds right into the 1950s when, as with most UK cinemas, it eventually fell victim to the falling number of cinema-goers.

The Liscard Palace Cinema eventually closed in June of 1959. The building later became a supermarket (Lennons) and then a shoe shop (Shoemarket), which remains to this date.

so good info matey

I remember the old Apollo Cinema.

It was the first ever cinema I went to, and I think I was taken to see beauty and the beast in 1991, then Aladdin in 1992 lol

Some pictures of the above mentioned wallasey cinemas, buildings or sites of where the buildings where.

ahh waddi has been busy lol

any idea why the apollo was knocked down?

to make way for apartments,

I have a picture of the apollo boarded up, currently seeking permission to post it tho.

seeking permission? from who?

the person who took the picture.

he is a member of this site and a member of a forum that I "pinched" the pic from, lol

so thought it would be appropriate to ask 1st.

fair enough.

I took them pics in a drive by shooting,

explain:
Dropped wife of a ASDA to do shopping,
2 babies in the back asleep,
thought hmm what should I do, boring sat in the car in Asda carpark.
I know I'll go for a little drive, on the drive I passed the liscard palace and the capitol and a little light bulb appeared above my head, so round the liscard one way system and back towards the 2 above mentioned buildings, took the pictures on my phone hanging out of the car window whilst stopped at the lights etc, never left the car once. photography version of a drive by shotting, lol.

Great pictures waddi, i'm surprised at the one in liscard.
Never knew that

You know where the Avenue pub is right know on Bidston avenue.. There was a cinema there called "The Avenue" it was bombed in the war

the capitol and the liscard palace (shoe market) were both in liscard, very very close to one enougher

another* - great pics, i never knew the apollo had been knocked down lol, was still standing when i came up here i believe... used to pass it every thrusday as my dad bowled in the league down at new brighton and that was along the route lol