Washington County Durham
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Memories of ...
Gannin' Tuh The Pictures
- The Carlton / The Glebe
- The Gem / Victory
- The Kings
- Alexandra Theatre / The Gaff / Regal 1/2
- Regal 2/2
- The Ritz
- The Queens
The Carlton, Washington Station
Known locally as The Glebe.
The Carlton Cinema
Location of the Carlton Cinema
Alice & Boris at The Carlton
Washington Station Road
Derwent Terrace on Washington Station Road
The former site of the Carlton Cinema
Carlton Cinema
Now Photos: J.G. 14th Nov 2016
The Gem, Mount Pleasant
Formerly the North Biddick Colliery Miners' Welfare Hall (built 1909), later The Victory cinema. Demolished 1970s.
The Gem Cinema
The Gem / Fatfield Bridge / Biddick Inn
Miners' Welfare Hall
The Victory Cinema
View from Worm Hill
Gem Cinema
Now Photo: J.G. 14th Nov 2016
The Kings, Usworth Station Road
Known earlier as The King's Hall ... later, Latimer's Garage.
Kings Cinema / Latimer's Garage
Map Showing The Kings Cinema
Kings Cinema / Latimer's Garage
Northumberland Way passes right through the former site of the Kings Cinema.
( The Kings was 66% of the way from Hall Road, opposite The Stile, to Edith Avenue. )
Who remembers the cheapest seats? Two long wooden benches right at the front - 6d per ticket.
A stiff neck guaranteed at the end of the evening!
Kings Cinema
Now Photo: Google 2016
Alexandra Theatre / Regal Cinema
Victoria Road & Spout Lane
( aka: The Gaff )
[ Shorter Oxford Dictionary: a public place of amusement, esp. a popular theatre or music hall. ]
• • ◊ • •
The Regal: Entrance from Spout Lane
The Ritz & The Regal
Alexandra Theatre - Map (1921)
The Regal: Main Entrance, left of Forte's
• • ◊ • •
Poster Advertising The Alexandra Theatre
Miners proudly carrying the 1930 Glebe Banner down Emmerson Terrace.
Note the Poster advertising 1929 films at the Alexandra Theatre.
Jack Holt in Flight and Belle Baker in Song Of Love.
[ Contributed by Derek / Glebe Banner Group ]
• • ◊ • •
Staff at The Alexandra Theatre
Labelled 'Regal Cinema Staff' but I think the former Alexandra Theatre was more likely to have a staff of 20.
Note the young lady with the 'tray' - front row, extreme right. Maybe she sold sweets etc.
Zoom-in and you can just make out the letters: FRY'S CHOCOL...
• • ◊ • •
Beginning of the 21st Century
The Side Entrance on Spout Lane
The Main Entrance on Victoria Road
The Side Entrance
The Main Entrance
Every Saturday morning hundreds of kids went to The Matinee to see the likes of Abbott & Costello, Laural & Hardy, Hopalong Cassidy,
Batman & Robin and loads of Looney Tunes stuff - Tom & Jerry, Pink Panther, Road Runner, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck etc. etc.
Great entertainment at just 6d a ticket.
Regal Cinema
[ Above Now Photos: J.G. 14th Nov 2016 ]
• • ◊ • •
The Fire, 19th April 2017
Former Alexandra Theatre / Regal Cinema
Seven fire appliances attended. Roof collapsed. Nobody hurt.
Photo: Neil Braithwaite - Wed, 19th April 2017, shortly after 4:30 p.m.
[ Sunderland Echo ]
• • ◊ • •
Alexandra Theatre - The Gaff - Regal Cinema
( How most of us will remember it. )
Other Memories: 39 Bus arriving via the New Inn Corner, Charlie Butt's Shop & Forte's Café / Billiards Room.
[ Picture from Google Earth ]
The End of an Era!
The once grand Main Entrance of the former Alexandra Theatre / Regal Cinema.
What a sad sight for those of us who enjoyed hours of entertainment here.
[ Photo: 24 April 2019. Taken by Ernie Guy of Washington History Society. ]
• • ◊ • •
Approaching the Vacant Site where the Alexandra Theatre / Regal Cinema once stood.
[ Photo: J.G. 13th May 2019 ]
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Looking back over the former Stage / Screen Area to the Main Entrance on Victoria Road.
[ Photo: J.G. 13th May 2019 ]
• • ◊ • •
View from the Main Entrance (left) to the Spout Lane Entrance, which passed between the Co-op Buildings.
Remember the long narrow Corridor where we queued to buy our tickets? That's it.
[ Photo: J.G. 13th May 2019 ]
• • ◊ • •
The Vacant Site viewed from the Spout Lane Entrance / Exit.
[ Photo: J.G. 13th May 2019 ]
• • ◊ • •
Sweets from Forte's - The 'Little Picture' - Pathé News - Cartoons - The Trailers - The 'Big Picture' - Lottie's Fish Shop
[ Gone But Not Forgotten! ]
The Ritz, Victoria Road
Near the junction with Blue House Lane & Heworth Road.
Jonty Black's Sweet Shop
Jonty Black's & The Ritz
Victoria Road & The Ritz
The Ritz / Blue House Lane Corner
Behind The Ritz Cinema
The Ritz - Interior
The Ritz Cinema
Ritz (Fairworld) Bingo
Ritz (Fairworld) Cinema
The Ritz, 'F' Pit & Dodds' Shop
Dodds' Off-Licence
The Ritz - Demolition
RITZ CINEMA across PENALUNA's SMALLHOLDING
Viewpoint: The Track leading from Holyoake Terrace (right) to the 'F' Pit / Brickyard (left). 'The Comrades' is off-picture (bottom-right).
New Rows Chapel, standing on Blue House Lane. - The rear of Dodds Off-Licence, its front facing Heworth Road.
[ Thanks to Adrian Lupton ]
CONSTRUCTION OF CONCORD'S BLUE HOUSE LANE ROUNDABOUT
This New Road turns East, passing the rear of the Ritz Cinema, to by-pass Victoria Road, Front Street & Usworth Station Road.
[ Thanks to Adrian Lupton ]
The former site of the Ritz Cinema - viewed from the former site of New Rows Chapel.
Roundabout off-picture, right.
Photo: J.G. 14th Nov 2016
The Queens, Fatfield Road
Adjacent to the Victoria Hotel.
Victoria Hotel & Queens Cinema
Map Showing The Queens Cinema
The Queens Cinema
The Victoria Hotel - standing alone
The former site of the Queens Cinema
Washington Amateur Operatic Society performing The Arcadians (an Edwardian musical comedy)
at the Queens Theatre, Washington Station in 1938.
[Evening Chronicle]
Queens Cinema / Theatre
Now Photos: J.G. 14th Nov 2016