cinemas from the past

Can anyone remember what the cinema on Wallgate was called? I think it became a sewing place called The Margaret Works in later years.

HI XENON
I CANT REMEMBER ITS NAME BUT THE NAME IT GOT WAS THE FLEA PIT,FOR A JAM JAR YOU GOT ADMITTANCE,IT WAS OPPOSITE VICTORIA ST AND MELBOURNE ST.A LITTLE SWEET SHOP NEXT DOOR.YOU SAT ON FORMS.A LONG TIME AGO.

Hi Bravo,thanks for that,I did hear it had the nickname the flea pit,I bet several old cinemas had that name too!

According to my father the picture-house was called the Queen's. He adds that the sewing factory which replaced it made aprons and underwear, and also shrouds for Middleton & Woods.

Yes i believe it was the Queen's as my grandfather used to take me there in the 50's.

On second thoughts the one i used to go to was i think the Princess.

Are you sure?. I thought it was the Royal and it was called The Scratch.

Thanks to you all,my first thought was the Queens,then I thought was I thinking of a cinema in Pemberton with that name or am I wrong about that? I remember the shroud place in Miry Lane- it was near Maltbys,the pop bottle place and there was the bus yard there as well,they used to clean the buses there I think.

It wasn't until sometime late last year that my mum said she used to go to the one on Gidlow Lane, I thought, eh?? But the spot that is now a kitchen / bedroom fitters place, it was that building! That taught me to "look up" a bit more!

This link is from a topic on WW about cinemas in Wigan.
wigan cinemas

Thanks jackdaw,that was a very interesting link,it's amazing what people can remember about Wigan in the past- all those memories!I think Wigan was a nicer place in those days,it had much more character and some lovely old shops,I hate all these steel,concrete and glass buildings that are built nowadays-they are soulless.

Just to settle the discussion about the cinema in Wallgate, which later on became a sewing factory...

Funnily enough, it was called The:

Thanks Art - that's brilliant!No further proof neccesary,you have solved a little puzzle for me.Where on Earth do you dig up these old photographs from?That's amazing.

Nudge-nudge-wink-wink..

O.K. art - 'nough said.Thanks again.

I put a post on five years ago,( Ask @art@ ) and he's still the same

That was before my time, though I remember the Queens in Pemberton. As young teenagers my mate and I would stand in the doorway of the Meadow Dairy (further up, opposite) where there was a mirror and putting on lipstick (that we weren't allowed to wear) before going in the "flicks".

I do not know why but I seem to remember that there was a Cinema on Wigan lane mind you this is yonks ago just past on the right at the top of Swinley road it was turned into a Engineering work (think)

is the date right about when wallgate cinema was demolished?, my hubby says its was bought about 1970 by pecks tarpaulins just as a place to store and repair tarpaulins

hi zenon
i used to live in mason st first on left off mirylane.
next to middleton and woods there where a small building,
there they made crisps,cant think of the name,but when we were on way home from school we would held the ladys with the small bags of salt.remember the ones you got in the crisp.we did hundreds for them,thinking back we must have been mad.good fun though.the bus depot was ribble buses.it backed on to clare st.

process, Pecks Tarp store was opposite Northwest station, across the entry by the side of the Swan & Railway pub.
As the caption says, the cinema was opposite Caroline st, down below the bridge, near the Grapes pub (pillars)

art that was the proper works you are talking about, the old cinema they used as a repair depot. so my hubby insists on telling me.

Brilliant thread.

I used to work at the Ritz as a trainee Projectionst.
We used to be friends with our opposite numbers in the other theatres. Like Court Cinema,and Princess cinema. I do think we have lost something special,when we lost those cinemas.Technology today is great, but what memories do we have of those wonderful days.

Great photos. Thanks for posting them....