Saturday matinée, the Gaumont, 1953

[Ronijayne]

I lived in the Dingle and in the 1930's had the choice of The Beresford, Park Road; The Gaumont Dingle; The Mayfair Aigburth Road, Rivoli Aigburth Road and a slighlty longer walk took me to the Rialto which was destroyed during the riots.
I remember at the Beresford Saturday childs matinee, anyone who had an injury was allowed to the front of the queue. The n umber of fake walking wounded was enormous!!!

I was 50's but had these same choices. We went to the Gaumont or Breesford on Saturday. Serial and main feature. We queued up for ages. My father gave my sister and I a shilling each. 6p to go in and 6p for sweeties and ice cream

[George]

I'm not sure what George is trying to prove

He's trying prove that Colins pic is not the Savoy in BroughamTerrace simply because this Savoy was opened in 1914,Colins pic is that of a cinema opened in the 30's ie its architecture is that of Art Deco appearence...now unless the Savoy went through a major facelift? this can be discounted as the Savoy.

[gregs dad]

We had loads within walking distance, The Grosvenor,Garrick,Astoria,Commodore,Queens,Victory , Derby,Popular, Homer, or short tram ride to Lime St for Forum,Palais,Scala,Odeon,Gaumont, The cheapest was the Garrick,you were supposed to be able to get in the Popular
for 4 jam jars,when they were worth a penny when returned to shops.

[George]

Em! sorry...Art Nouveau not Art Deco.

[Ged]

This is the Gaumont in question. Called the Savoy but a Gaumont theatre as the poster says on Colin's pic.



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The photo appears in Harold Ackroyds book.

[lindac8941]

I went to The Regal in Broadway Norris Green back in the early 60s for the matinees every Saturday. I always remembered that song we used to sing........................

We are the boys and girls well known as,
Minors of The ABC,
And every Saturday all line up,
To see the films we like and shout around with glee,
We like to laugh and have a sing song,
What a happy crowd are we,
Were all friends together,
Were Minors of The ABC.

[GNASHER]

The one I'mon about in the early 60's was situated in between the bank on the corner and Gregsons Well pub ie it was smack bang in the middle.

That was The Royal Hippodrome and the under ground bogs where in the triangle opposite.I seem to remember the Hippy was a Gaumont.

[Quentin_Sharples]

Thanks for the photo, Ged.
A pity it isn't better, but it's possible to identify the two lots of steps.

Hopefully somebody will recognise somebody in Colin's original photo.

Good luck, George, but I don't know how you're going to prove Colin's photo ISN'T the Savoy.

[GNASHER]

If it is the Savoy,the canopy has been removed.There looks to be the right number of steps and blocks above the plynth.

[Ged]

Yes, lots of canopies were removed for the war effort, nearly all had gone by the 50s.

[vejomast]

You'll be a lot younger then me, so perhaps you wont have known of two other cinemas in the toxteth area....The Warwick in Windsor street and the Park Palace in Mill street. I remember seeing Shirley Temple at the Park Palace. Incidentally, my brothers always referred to the Warwick as the "flea pit"(no explanatio n needed) !!!