Waterloo's Bijou Theatre

A MEMORIES reader has been in touch to tell us about a cinema not included in our four part series in November.
John Hayden remembers being told about the Bijou Theatre, which was located on East Street, Waterloo, by his grandfather.
He told Memories: “My grandfather, Joseph Billington, was a coal merchant in St John’s Road, Waterloo, until about 1950.
“I remember as a little kid he told me about the Bijou, which was a cinema in East Street, Waterloo, and located next door to the pub the Volunteer Canteen.
“He used to take his children, including my mother, as a treat to the Bijou Electric Palace as it became known as.
“This would be about 1916 as she would be about ten years old then.
“I think it shut about 1920ish.

“I remember years ago the building was used as a garage for lorries by Bramhams Haulage Contractors.
“The original building was demolished about 1990 or maybe a bit later and two houses were built on the site.�
The Bijou had a short life as a cinema.
From 1840, the building had been a Methodist chapel before becoming home to many other religious groups.
The Salvation Army took it over around the turn of the century but a few years later it became the East Street Assembly Rooms, holding concerts and reunions.
In 1909, the building was reborn as a concert hall when it was taken over by Messrs Weber, Son and Arnold.
Designed by architect Richard Waddington, the building had new, plusher seating for 300 people, received new decor and became the Bijou.
One of the lessees, Arthur Weber, was well-known as a singer which undoubtedly attracted a great deal of public interest.
Despite being in a side street and in competition with Queen’s on nearby South Road, business was said to be thriving.
The then manager, William Eltoft, retired due to ill health and Walter Jackson ran the cinema until November 1922 when it closed its doors for the final time.