Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Cinemas

Good pics Bri

Thanks. Here's another of the Ritz.

bloody hell bet you they prodcued some heat

nice photos seemed like money was no object back then, very lavish too.

Yes, they did, but there was a good extraction system, which you can see in the pic, to remove the fumes from the carbon arcs. This helped to keep the temperature down.

Is the ritz the one that turned into a rollerskate place and is a furniture shop now by birkenhead park?

I herd that up stairs is till the same

its the Gaumont that you're talking about

The Ritz was by the market next to the multi storey carpark
behind Argos
Now been demolished and now just a wasteland
If you know where the Firemans Arms is that used to be at the back end of the Ritz

No, that was the Gaumont. The Ritz became the Essoldo Cinema, then Bingo Club then Top Rank Bingo and closed when the new Top Rank opened. The building was demolished for no reason following a protest and an attempt to have it spot listed. (English Heritage turned down the request as there was too little of the original interior remaining.

and Derek beat me to it.

Worked at what was the Gaumont about 10 years ago, last time I was in there it was pretty eerie as all the seats in the top deck were still there, some still with residual fire damage, never got to see what was the projection room but when it was Roller World a lot of the area was unchanged, on either side of the stairs leading upstairs it still had "Circle" lighting. The cellars were terrifying, it looked like some funfair that'd gone wrong!

Cool, love to have a look at that place.

Pics of the Gaumont, opened May 1938, Park Rd. East.
From 'The Silver Screens of Wirral', 1989. Essential if you're interested in local cinema history!

wow, thanks bri
Looks huge

Have you got any of the unit 4/appolo 6 on king st before it was butchered into a multiplex?
Demolished now.

I've got these. Scanned from the silver screens of Wirral book. It was absolutely stunning. All photos where taken in 1933.