Wigan Album

The year I was born but no mention of The Bug, (Doric Cinema), in Higher Ince! And I wonder how many of the kids of today would queue to see "Wait 'til the sun shines, Nellie"? But that is absolutely fascinating, Ron. Thankyou for posting.

No mention of the County. I wonder why that is?

John I noticed that.. I wonder if it was closed for some reason? Also not shown QUEENS and CARLTON at Pemberton GIDLOW, MAJESTIC at Orrell, plus the Ashton cinemas. Maybe the owners didn't send the paper the information???

I used to go to Scholes Picture's every Fri night with my dad.I couldn't wait for him to come from work to take me to the 6pm Picture. The next one was 8pm.Laurel & Hardy was a favourite Lovely memories of me and my dad.Thanks Ron.

Most of those films will be on ytube. I fancy the Bowery Boys in
“ Bowery Battalion”. I used to love seeing them at the Scholes Pictures on a Saturday afternoon. They were originally known as “The Dead End Kids”. A wise cracking, rough and tough gang of boys up to all sorts of capers.

'WIGAN SHOWS' - it's monkey !

This was indeed the Evening Chronicle and not the Post. The Evening Chronicle's title was disposed of by United Newspapers and it was decided that the south Lancashire edition of the Lancashire Evening Post Preston, should become the Evening Post and Chronicle, based at Wigan. Brock Mill was seriously considered and published there for the first time on 4th October 1965.

My favourite cinema's were the CARLTON ,Half Way House and The Queen's up at Pemberton , the best part about going to the queens which my dad used to take me was on the way home he would get me a bag of chips ,( Heaven) Happy ,glorious times .

I expect most of the people commenting on this item, like myself, will remember when the back page of the old format Wigan Observer (when you needed both arms to open it to it's full width} was given over to what was showing in the Wigan and district cinemas and what The Hippodrome was offering.

Veronica, I can't recall the Bowery Boys even with looking on youtube, though like Edna my favourites were and still are Laurel & Hardy, and they can still raise a laugh today. There is only the Ritz, County, Princes and Court cinemas that I remember there being still open when I and friends would go to see films.

Geoff Shryhane recalls his hobby of film viewing in the days of the many Wigan and districts cinemas and their sad demise. https://www.wigantoday.net/news/opinion/wigans-sad-demise-silver-screens-973816

And Ianmcl recalls them by name and district, information obtained from a book by Brian Murphey, and copied from off a discussion of cinemas on the communicate boards.

Posted by: ianmcl (inactive)
The Alliance ( Canada Picture House, now Wigan Little Theatre), The Empire, Cooper's Row, The County Playhouse, King St, the Court, King St, The Hippodrome, King St, the New Central Hall, King St, the Palace Cinema, King St,the Pavillion, Library St, The Princes, Clarence Yard, the Ritz Station Rd, the Royal, Wallgate

Ashton had the Hippodrome (later the Scala) on Heath Rd - originally a theatre, the Palace on Bryn Rd and the Queen's, Wigan Rd

The Gidlow Picture House, Gidlow Lane.

Hindley had the Central Cinema ( which was the Central Hall, Frederick St) The Victoria, Market St( now the Conservative Club?) which was also known as the Castle Cinema. The Palace on Market St and the Rex( later the Monaco) on Atherton Rd.

Ince had Ince Picture Palace (later the Doric and the Bug!), Humphrey St, and the Regal in Manley St

The Majestic in Orrell, the Lyric, Up Holland.

Pemberton had the Royal Electric Theatre ( later the Half Way House Picture House, the Carlton and finally Unit 4) The Queen's and the Central Hall, Lamberhead Green.

Platt Bridge had The Miner's Hall (known as Sniggy's! later the Savoy), and the New Picturedrome (later the Palace), near the King Billy.

Scholes had The New Labour Hall Picturedrome and Scholes Picture House (originally the Star)

Standish had a picture house in the 1920's and one known as Sammy Grant's or the Penny Itch as well as a record of a Market St Cinema - though this could have been the same one - on Pole St but backing onto Market St - and the Palace, Cross St.

All of this information - plus an amazing amount about the theatres and music halls of Wigan - is available in a wonderful book "The Pleasure Palace - A History of Wigan Cinemas" by Brian Murphey 1999 ISBN 1 874712 41 7

DerekB , the old Wigan Observer broadsheet was a real full width newspaper. It was known as the Fridays arm stretch. It had 16 pages but put that in context with a tabloid it would convert to 50 pages. The old arm stretch had two full pages of picture house in its heyday.

Cyril If you look at the acknowledgements in the Book by Brian Murphy you will see that I helped him with his research..He was a good friend of mine.

Cyril you should be able to get them on ytube try putting the Dead End Kids in the search. They were hilarious. They first came to prominence in a film with Humphrey Bogart and Ann Sheridan. One of them wore a trilby and the daft one wore a baseball cap. Just trying to think of their names. …….

Leo Gorsey and Hung Hall the two main ones.

Sorry spell check!
Huntz Hall. This iPad inserts other words if it doesn’t recognise words.

Thanks Ron, but I haven't seen the book, I just copied and pasted what ianmcl had written in his post of cinemas hence his way of spelling Brian's surname.

It must have been a popular book too as it's out of stock everywhere and a seller on ebay must know as it it's on at twice the price.

Spell check. YouTube and not ytube.
A great nostalgic advert of old Wigan.

Looking at my Fathers' diary for Thursday 6th November 1952 his entry for that day reads "Mummy & I Court Cinema, Son of Paleface. " I was 7 years old so I guess my 2 elder sisters had to stay in that night. (in the house, my father often called his wife "Mummy" rather than her own name but outside it was "Pip" instead of Bessie.) Do parents these days name their children like we used to do?
Incidentally, the previous night was Bonfire night so fireworks on our back garden.

I've had a look on youtube Veronica, and I can see where they got the idea for the backdrop for Happy Days from and somehow quite similar characters too.

Very true Cyril. But I think they were funnier.
There was a different sequence every week. I also loved The Three Stoogies and Ol’ Mother Riley and her daughter Kitty..( who was Arthur’s wife in real life!)

I watched “derby day” on talking pictures tv a few months ago,good film ,particular if you like horse racing