SUBURBAN CINEMAS
GUILD CINEMA. Geoffrey Street.
The Guild cinema was in Geoffrey Street, and shown in the
publicity as being in the ownership of David Ainsworth. He
was originally a hay and straw dealer with premises off Lan-
caster Road near the covered market and the cinema building
was, no doubt, adapted from my hay and straw barn. The
cinema was ready for the 1922 Guild; by 1935 John Mathers,
Authur Murray had taken over. 1959 was a particularly bad
year for closures. The Guild in Geoffrey Street (750) seats
went in July. The last film to be shown was “Ice Cold In Alex.
The cinema was destroyed by fire in the early 1990s
THE PICTUREDROME. Brackenbury Road.
The Brackie with it’s baroque stage balcony, circle and curtained boxes
which were never used - was converted from a former brewery. In it’s day
it had one of the most distinctive roofs in the town - what would now be
described as a sort of “Dutch Barn” style.
There was room in the building where you could dance to gramophone
records before going to the second house film show.
RIALTO CINEMA, St Pauls Road.
The Rialto built in 1921 with 300 seats, first named the
Victory, closed in December 1959. The last film to be
shown was “You’re In The Army Now.” The building was
intern a Sunday School, a Day School and a Store and is
now the headquarters for the North Lancashire Deaf and
Dumb Society
The Queens when changed to the Continental
QUEEN'S CINEMA. Tumbridge Street.
This was in Tunbridge Street , and owned by the Alderson family,
Who were also associated with the parish church.Terry and his
Wife , Beattie ran the Queens in the 1960s ,and there management is
Remembered as being particularly efficient.
At one stage, the admission price for children included the provision
Of an orange. Like the Lido, the Queens in Tunbridge Street tried
Continental films and the name were changed accordingly.
The building was used as a meeting place in May 1965 by the Indian
And Pakistani community to discuss the future of an eight-day
Industrial strike in which many of them were involved and the old
Cinema is now a Punjabi Temple, The building was remodeled in the
nineties,but can always be remembered for its former use.
