MEMORIES this week begins a four-part series looking at cinemas in the area in days gone by, featuring more pictures from the vast collection by Tom Heath.
The first shows the Winter Gardens Cinema, on Church Road, Waterloo.

Built in the 1870s, it was first used as a gym and later a billiard hall before it became the district’s first cinema in December 1909.
It closed after two months but was reopened by the same lessees, in February, 1910, under the name Winter Gardens.
In 1913 the cinema underwent a revamp and seating capacity was increased to 450.
It then came under new management in 1914 and changed its name to the Waterloo Picture Playhouse until its closure in July 1922.
The building then had another make over, with capacity again increased to 650, before its reopening as the Winter Gardens Theatre in September 1922 until June 1931.
The Winter Gardens then reopened again as a cinema in December 1931 and became the last privately owned cinema in north Merseyside until rising costs, dwindling audiences and competition resulted in its closure in September 1965.
The Regent Picture House, on Liverpool Road, Crosby, had its grand opening in December 1920.

Because of its high standard of comfort, the Regent was the best attended cinema in north Liverpool for many years.
It was taken over by Mecca Ltd in 1968 to be turned into a bingo and social club.
The cinema closed in November that year with Barbarella starring Jane Fonda.
Large numbers attended opening performances at the Palladium, on Seaforth Road, Seaforth, on Christmas Day, 1913.

During its early years, the Palladium had no direct opposition and was well attended.
But in the early 1920s, three larger cinemas opened nearby.
In 1949, it was taken over by Crosby Entertainments Ltd whose managing director, Phillip M Hanmer, had opened the new Plaza in Crosby in 1939.
The Palladium closed in June 1959 with the final programme Rockets Galore with Wild Heritage.
Do you have Memories or photographs of the old cinemas in the area that you would like to share?
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