• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Birmingham Cinemas

Remember the Ashted cinema. Threepenny crush Saturday afternoon . Us lads would be making a row and the manager put on the lights to chastise us. We used to sneak in through the back doors and if he saw us he would chase us with a big stick happy days
 
Can someone tell me where the Birmingham News Theatre used to be in the 1950's please? Was it the newly refurbished Electrc theatre?
 
Can someone tell me where the Birmingham News Theatre used to be in the 1950's please? Was it the newly refurbished Electrc theatre?
As you came out ofNew Street station it was exactly opposite in Station street . Went there many times
 
Hello Maggs - The News Theatre was on High Street, around where M&S is roughly now. The Tatler/Electric was in Station Street. I went to both many times with my Dad to see cartoons when we were in town when I was a little girl.

Judy
 
Thank you one and all for that info. I never went there, but I remember that we had one in the town. Hello Judy, it sounds as though the Tatler/Electric showed a similar sort of thing. What a shame I missed out on them.
 
I think the confusion arises because there were two News Theatre's in Birmingham that bore the same name among many others that were used during their lifetimes and at some time during their lives they were owned by the Jacey Cinema Group.

The News Theatre 56-57 High Street opened in 1932 and closed in 1960
The News Theatre opened in 1910 as the Electric Cinema and is still open today
 
Which one had the news going across the front in lights? Was that the High Street one? I vaguely remember being fascinated as a child.

Janice
 
Janice

It was the one on the High Street and it was the first cinema in Birmingham to have a moving illuminated display sign.
 
I used to read those signs to my Dad when I were little - we used to go up town to see the carnival. Dad used to plonk me on the wall of the bombed building on Bull Street, fetch me some roasted chestnuts from the hot potato man, and then we waited till the carnival came round the corner. Sitting up there on the wall I could see everything going on and I loved it. Reading those lights as they went around the building was really exciting and a big challenge ..... daft now when I think about it!!! I suppose Dad put me there out of harms way .....
 
The Mayfair Erdington

Hi,

I remember the Mayfair and although it's in Kingstanding I think it used to be in the area known as Perry Common which appears to have vanished. The library which we used a lot was Perry Common Library but is now B44 I think. I think both buildings may have been part of the massive development which stretched to Court Lane via Witton Lodge Road. The boundaries kept on shifting and various old names got swallowed up.

Different topic but still on Erdington. I remember going to the baths at Erdington and the two hot drinks on offer, for us kids, were either Bovril or Cow & Gate. Both of which were served with a Rich Tea finger - I think they were about 1d or 2d. I always had the Bovril as I couldn't pluck up the courage to try the other one (funny that, now I look back). Does anyone know what Cow & Gate actually was or have I got the name wrong?
 
slightly off topic Penelope, but I seem to remember "cow &gate", as a very milky chocolate drink. I on the other hand at Harbourn baths, loved chocolate Horlicks at 5d, old money a fortune to a 12 year old.Paul
 
slightly off topic Penelope, but I seem to remember "cow &gate", as a very milky chocolate drink. I on the other hand at Harbourn baths, loved chocolate Horlicks at 5d, old money a fortune to a 12 year old.Paul
Cow & Gate Chocolate Milk Advert here. Not sure of the vintage. Dave.
37534.jpg
 
The Broad way Plaza entertainment complex at Five Ways originally The Childrens Hospital.the frontage Was retained When a State Of the art twelve - screen
Cinema Complex Was Openend In 2003
With Numerous bars and resturants.
The Mail Box mixed- use Shopping, leisure and office Complex Gets its name from the fact it was once the Main postal Sorting Office.
The Sorting Office moved to a new 40 , million development in Newton row ,that got under Way in January 1997 ,
iT Was a Red Letter Day for the Mail Box When It Openend In 1998.
 
Oh Dear Paul! I was swapping between the Erdington thread and this one - let's just blame a senior moment for the lapse of going off topic. Thanks for the info - I thought it was something like that. Thanks also to farmerdave as well for that lovely picture. I'm always amazed at the wealth of info on this site. Back to cinemas now.
 
I must have seen one of the last films to be screened at the Capitol in Ward End.

It was disastrous. Not only was I scared out if my wits when something brushed against my leg (of all things, a flipping cat in the auditorium), but we also ended up sitting in our coats all the way through the film because there was no heating. Then when we got home we had to smother ourselves in cream because we were covered in flea bites. I guess that's why they call them flea pits :)
 
There was a cinema called the ABC Bristol Road. My hubby and I arrived there late to see McVicar starring Roger Daltry. The cinema was full with the exception of two front seats. Despite the prospect of permanent neck damage we crept down the aisle, apologising to everyone as the usherette shone her torch to show us the way. We were so embarrassed, we just ducked down until we reached our seats and tried to cause as little disruption as possible. Then the unthinkable happened. As I sat on my seat it completely collapsed and I ended up flat on the floor with my legs stretched out in front of me. After rapturous applause from the whole audience I had no choice but to remain in that position until the film ended. My one and only visit - but one I'll never forget.
 
As they did not provide a seat they ought to gave refunded your entrance
Hi All,
I cannot understand why she had to remain there until the film ended. Could no one have come and picked her up? In any case she may have been injured.

Old Boy
 
Back
Top