Quote Originally Posted by Sirob View Post
More obscure pics now;
What was left of the Lyric Theatre, Everton Valley, in August 1971. Located behind the pub, the partially demolished walls were used for years by Reardons Demolition contractors as a yard. Opened in 1897 as a theatre, converted to a cinema in 1922 , re-converted to a theatre again in 1925 and closed for good in 1932.
Frontage of the Queens cinema, Walton Road, in March 1973. Opened in 1913 and closed in 1959. Never part of a circuit, could only show second district runs and with the Astoria, Victory and Princess nearby, became an early casualty. Demolished 1980, after retail use.
Not a pretty sight but I don' think the Queens was ever an architectural gem,
and I don't think the Saturday afternoon 'specials' for the kids helped it. But it
has magical memories for me growing up in the 30's - with the cowboy serials
(Tom Mix and Hoot Gibson to cite only a couple of those who mesmerised us)
and the cartoons and the various Hal Roach comedies that preceded the 'big'
picture. The interval enabled the proprietors to make a liltle extra revenue
(and fumigate the premises) whilst the oocupantsof the front seats did their
best to shield themselves from a variety of missiles aimed from behind and
perhaps from above though I'm not sure whether the Queens had a balcony.
Your photo nevertheless graphically reflects the general atmosphere of dereliction still suffered by the Kirkdale of the fifties. Stan. H