SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

A trip to the cinema isn't what it used to be.With a Multiplex,you can decide in the foyer which film you'd like to see.That wasn't always the case and every area of Leeds seemed to have one or more cinemas.Offhand I can recall about 10 cinemas which have closed since I was a youngster-and I aren't including the city centre.Does anyone have any memories-fond or otherwise!

Hi,I visited the Rex Cinema near Tommy Wasses, Beeston just before it closed in 1976 to see Peter Pan ( I was 4 ) My dad had to tear me away from Hong Kong Fooey ha haIt was a shame it closed, It was replaced by houses.

Shall we do a list?Heres the ones i can think of:The Lounge - Headingley, sadly missedThe Lyric - ArmleyThere's one at the bottom of Tong road just up from the Beech(Damn, now my minds gone blank!)

I assume the bingo hall opposite Dewsbury road fire station was a cinema and I seem to remember being told there was one up in Beeston village too but both well before my time (I'm 43)

For anyone interested in old Leeds cinemas i would recommend tracking down the work of Robert Preedy. He wrote a book called "Leeds Cinemas Remembered" in 1980, and there have been updates and other books regularly since then. He has made the study of Leeds Cinemas his life's work - what he doesnt know aint worth knowing!!

Living in Burley many years ago, I can remember The Haddon Hall Cinema, The Embassy on Kirkstall Road and the Abbey Cinema near Kirkstall Traffic lights.Moving to Crossgates brought me very close to both the Regal and the Ritz. I watched the Regal being demolished. I worked in Harehills for a while almost opposite the Harehills Cinema and not very far from the Clock. My favourite was the News Theatre under a corner of the Queens Hotel in City Square. Lots of cartoons!!All distant memories now.

Barwicker wrote: Living in Burley many years ago, I can remember The Haddon Hall Cinema, The Embassy on Kirkstall Road and the Abbey Cinema near Kirkstall Traffic lights.Moving to Crossgates brought me very close to both the Regal and the Ritz. I watched the Regal being demolished. I worked in Harehills for a while almost opposite the Harehills Cinema and not very far from the Clock. My favourite was the News Theatre under a corner of the Queens Hotel in City Square. Lots of cartoons!!All distant memories now. Wasn't the Haddon Hall cinema also known as the 'Burley Bughutch'It was my first cinema experience,aged about 5.The film was a Disney animation either Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella and it gave me nightmares!!!

Oh cripes, The Ritz! The flea pit! Home to showings of the likes of Guns of the Naverone and Space Family Robinson with Robie the Robot - Thinking how many films that thing featured in - maybe they only had one!The regal on the other hand was by comparison quite a palace and much larger. The sweet shop on the front had a window into the foyer to serve as the cinema shop, owned by Mr Stevenson - he seemed to have shops in a few of the cinemas.Yes, sadly pulled down to be replaced by the Gem store, quite prestigious and run by an American concern - didn't last long! It then beacme home to Wilkinsons (Wilko) and a new Asda store on the ground floor, with a furniture store upstairs.I remember being told they had to regularly move stock about in the basement warehouse because of the fear of subsidence, the whole area being over shallow mine workings. Certainly the mines are well documented, I remember from years ago seeing old tracks and small wagons being removed from excavations on several building sites in the area

Wasn't the Lounge reopened a year or so ago? I remember LCC had a public meeting about it.Thank god they saved the Hyde Park bughouse...I saw Woodstock, Easy Rider and all the classic hippy films there in the 70's as a student. Not to mention getting a sex education in there, with all the groping and such with female students I dated there! ;-)TMI, I know, but great memories lol.

TheCinema at the bottom of Tong Road was 'THE CROWN! Now, turn Left down Wellie Road.Remember 'The Lyric' on Wellington Road? It was burned down!Car Sales there now on site.I saw 'Sanders of the River' there in the THIRTIES! Paul Robeson starred! (Who?)And the local pit, (to us Burley Roaders) was 'The Burley' Bughutch! Itching to get in and scratching to come out! It was on the Burley Road junction with Lloyd Street.opposite bottom of Hyde Park Road.I'll try and think of more when I've had a liedown!A real authority on the subject of Leeds cinemas is John Morgan,EXYEP sports columnist and excellent writer/reporter!'arry awk