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Clifton Cinema, Great Barr

Oh well, that's another of the places of my childhood gone. I was a member of the Saturday morning Clifton Cinema Childrens Club and had a little green badge with CCCC on it. The cinema was very visible on the skyline from the Kingstanding area particularly when it had the CLIFTON neon sign.
 
I drove passed the Cinema several times yesterday blissfully unaware that a fire had occured and although I didn't know about the fire till just now, by looking at it from the front you really wouldn't know. Or at least, I didn't notice any difference.
 
as you say wend how very sad...this is what happens when our historic buildings are left unused and unattended for years...

lyn
 
Lets hope it can be saved unless there are other plans...oh do I sound skeptical.

Reading back on this thread I think they could hold a reunion from our members who went there, I know my brothers did. It was nice to see they screened the coronation there. Thanks our John for the info.
 
which reminds me wend some time back the manager of the one on kinstanding circle invited me back to tack pics of the upstairs original seating and the art deco living quarters..things happened and i shelved it...i will pop up on monday and hope the offer still stands..

lyn
 
Good idea Lyn don't put it off you never know what can happen.
 
I went to the Clifton up till when it closed and there was no Historical seating, as far as I knew they all went in the skip.
Lynne.
 
I am amazed at this news as whilst I was taking my daily walk on Friday I noticed one set of doors open on the frontage and what looked like contractors working so I just thought things were moving to open the Clifton up again.Wendy, you are not sceptical in my opinion it seems to happen with redundant structures like the Kingsway cinema in King's Heath, if the roof is unsafe nine times out ten the whole building will come down,seems such a pity.
 
I'm sad to hear of the fire, I often used to stay at my aunts in Hamstead for the week-end and we always went to the 'pictures' on Saturday night. If we were going to the Cifton we walked along the canal. On the way home we bought chips from Parish's chip shop in Dyas Avnue.
 
The Clifton after the bingo pulled out and before the fire was started
 

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More pics of THE CLIFTON
 

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More Pics of THE CLIFTON
 

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Thanks for those photos Chris. I wish I could show them to my Dad who was manager at the Clifton from its opening until about 1942. I wonder what he would think of what has become of the lovely old cinema?? We lived opposite the cinema in those days and often sheltered in the cellars when there was an air raid on during the war.

Judy
 
Jayell,
some more pics of THE CLIFTON in better times.
 

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Thanks Chris. I've never seen that inside shot before. It was a lovely cinema wasn't it, in it's day?

Judy
 
Hi Jayell found a couple more Clifton pics, the black & white date from about 1938, the colour ones from the mid 70s
 

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Great pictures Chris. The black and white one would have been taken when my dad worked there. I have one of him holding me as a baby on the front steps. I'll have to try and find it and post it.
 
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