The Carlton, Washington Station

Known locally as The Glebe.

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.

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.

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. ]

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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 ]

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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...

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ALEXANDRA THEATRE
The Talkies Arrive
( 7th April 1930 )

Extract from The Diary of Usworth Man, Martin Guy
[ Thanks to Grandson and Washington History Society Member, Ernie Guy. ]

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Beginning of the 21st Century

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 ]

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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 ]

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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. ]

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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 ]

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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 ]

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The Vacant Site viewed from the Spout Lane Entrance / Exit.
[ Photo:  J.G. 13th May 2019 ]

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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.

DEMOLITION
The Last Performance at THE RITZ.

The Ritz Cinema was opened prior to 1944 and had 823 seats.  It was sold to FairWorld Cinemas in the mid-1970’s and was twinned, with seating for 227 and 177, reopening as the FairWorld Film Centre.   It operated into the late-1980’s.  In around 1992 it was converted into a Nightclub and Pub.  There were plans put forward in 1996 to re-open it as a cinema, but they never came to fruition, and the building was demolished.  A Co-op Funeral Home now operates on the site.   [ Information: Thanks to www.cinematreasures.org ]

THE RITZ is the large building, slightly right of bottom-centre.   THE REGAL is the large building, bottom-right.
The OVAL in The 1970s

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 ]

FAIRWORLD FILM CENTRE
( Ritz Cinema )

The former site of the Ritz Cinema - viewed from the former site of New Rows Chapel.
New 'Blue House Lane' Roundabout off-picture, right.
Photo:  J.G. 14th Nov 2016

The Queens, Fatfield Road

Adjacent to the Victoria Hotel.

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THE QUEENS PICTURE HOUSE
Official Opening Day
( 4th March 1937 )

Extract from The Diary of Usworth Man, Martin Guy
[ Thanks to Grandson and Washington History Society Member, Ernie Guy. ]

Washington Amateur Operatic Society performing The Arcadians (an Edwardian musical comedy)
at the Queens Theatre, Washington Station in 1938.
[Evening Chronicle]