Leeds lost cinemas

Reginal Perrin · Post by **Reginal Perrin** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 2:14 pm

Rothwell Empire Cinema (opposite Black Bull)

arry_awk · Post by **arry_awk** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 5:05 pm

Try again!The blokes that laid those tramlines must have had their 'snap' in the 'Black Bull'!Rothwell? Isn't that where the Rothweillers come from?Sorry girls! Didn't mean it!Arry XXXX

arry_awk · Post by **arry_awk** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 5:31 pm

Further to 'The Majestic' post. My mum (Scandy's Gran)worked there 1938 to 1941 as a waitress in the restaurant,Usherette and icecream girl in the cinema and also 'doubled?' as cashier in the box office and on the tea room till!They got their money's worth out of her! She drew the line at 'toilet attendant'! However, the job had it's perks. free Gaumont complimentary cinema tickets for two at the Majestic,the Gaumont, the Assembly Rooms,and the Plaza (City centre) .All were GB cinemas then. I was the most 'clued up' junior film buff in Leeds in those days! Free icecream too in the Majestic when mum was serving!Before the wartime Blackout, The Majestic had a 'running newsboard' in lights which ran along the outside upper balcony.Often wondered how they got the messages to run along like that!Done by a teletype machine I think.At the time of the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940,my dad was posted 'missing' in France. They used the Majestic ballroom as a casualty clearing station where they brought all the Dunkirk woundedto be sorted as to which hospital they were going to.Mum and I used to go down daily to look at the wounded in case dad may have been amongst them. It turned out later that he was taken prisoner at St.Omer fighting a rearguard action to allow the BEF to get to Dunkirk. He was safe at least and spent the war in Poland! Stalag XXB.Arry Awk

arry_awk · Post by **arry_awk** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 5:43 pm

Nearly forgot!They had a 'pop-up Wurlitzer(Ithink) theatre organ in the intervalsat the Majestic.I think the organist's name was Henry Croudson.The Paramount/Odeon (AKAPrimark!) also had a 'floating' organ !Yer got yer money's worth in your ticket in them days.I believe even the Majestyk nightclub complex has closed now?Arry

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 6:14 pm

Here's a coincidence 'Arry - my father was a POW too. He was an able-seaman on H.M.S. Gloucester and was captured after it was sunk during the Battle of Crete in May 1941.(there were only 80 odd survivors out of about 900 men on board) He spent most of the rest of the war in Austria (Stalag XVIIB I think). All this was long before I was born, though.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 6:27 pm

Heres the Abbey, now HQ of Leeds M.I.N.D.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 6:31 pm

And here it is in 1937 - thank to Leodis as ever.

arry_awk · Post by **arry_awk** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 6:37 pm

Aye DrapesyMy Pop, too was a lucky survivor. He was one of the five out of a platoon of about 80 sent to defend the canal bridge at St Omer.against a load of Panzer tanks! They disembarked from a train, which took them from Arras to St.O. they had 5 rounds of .303ammo for their Lee Enfields and orders to hold up the Panzerswho had 88mm guns,armour plate and Spandau heavy machine guns! NO Chance! Dad was one of the survivors and was lucky to 'come round' after being hit on the head with a chunk of wood from a tank shell explosion!Our Da's sure went through it eh?Arry

arry_awk · Post by **arry_awk** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 6:45 pm

Whoa! Just spotted your Abbey pix . Great!I saw one picture there at a Saturdy matinee.The pic was called Lost Horizon Starring Ronald Colman and a gorgeous Oriental lass,who changed into a wizened old hagwhen Our Ronnie brought her down the mountain(Shangri La!')into the real world! (Believe owt. some fowks!)I think she was supposed to be abt 200 yrs old!Actually, it was provided by the Kirkstall Recreation club comitteefor the patron's kids for a Christmas treat! Bit too scary for me at 8yrs old!Arry

parksider · Post by **parksider** » Thu 21 Jun, 2007 7:54 pm

Hi therei was at the Odeon the night the beatles appeared there..Roy orbison was second on the bill that night..i went to see roy..he was great..the beatle fans spoilt it for me ..were screaming near the end of Roys spot...although i did like the beatles..also went to the grand for the Larry parnes package tour..loved that..he discovered tommy steele and a few others..on the bill were..cliff richard..Marty Wilde..joe brown..dickie pride..Vince eager..Johnny gentle..duffy power..and last but not least..MY IDOL...billy fury..we met Billy at the back after the show..a real great guy..modest..such a shame he died so young..great times then..you really felt part of it..unlike the open air shows they have now..they pack them in..money has ruined the live shows..bye for now