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Birmingham Cinemas

Went to the Newtown Palace once in the 40's or early 50's , what a dump !! and the audience were completely out of control, shouting and running up and down the aisles, if I remember part of the seating was wooden benches. My usual 'local' cinemas were the Vic ( Victoria Play House) in Victoria Rd, the Astoria and the Aston Cross why I went to the Newtown Palace (??) I'll never know, there was another one nearby, almost as bad called the Globe. Eric
 
Who remembers the Apollo on Tyburn Rd, Erdington which was more or less opposite the Norton pub and Maidens shop? A block of shops stands there now.
 
Hello Peter
For a few years way back in the late 60's I had the pleasure of working at both The Clifton and The Beacon, after work at Tuckers I did part time work as projectionist for a couple of years, The Beacon had one of the largest projection rooms I have ever worked in, with a few spair rooms for tea breaks and storage, plus the rewind room. They also did a Saturday morning program for the local kids and most weeks there films arived on Thursday or Friday, if I was working those nights and there was a cartoon available I would slip it into the program before the feature film came on, Bugs Bunny was the most popular and I never had any complaints from the audiance, I was most nights on my own as they didn't have many full time operators, everyone was just part time. My cinema career ended at The Beacon after haveing a set-to with the manager of the time who liked the odd drink or two, and was not a nice chap, he was always at the Clifton and at the time was in charge of both cinemas.
Both theatres uses BTH Mk 2 projectors using carbon arcs, when I look back at those days now I think between the two cinemas The Beacon was the best of them both.
Hope you had a chance to visit them at some time, they may be closed or gone, but will never be forgoten.
Andrew Hope.
 
The Mayfair Cinema was opened in 1931 and closed in 1963 and demolished down the right side of the cinema was Mayfair passage leading to Plumstead road and the otherside of the passage was the Old Isolation Hospital it's a housing estate to-day.

To left hand side was a sweet shop & a car battery shop Sunnybank avenue ran up the side of the shops.

Ray
brummie60 said:
Hi have noticed there was a mayfair cinema on college road,kingstanding,does anybody know where it was located,steve
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There was a cinema in Alum Rock that I went to on a couple of occasions when I lived near there (Bamville road). Can't recall the name of it though, opposite end of the Alum Rock road to the cinema that was turned into the Rock bingo hall (Run by Top Rank, long since demolished!!)
 
It has been interesting reading all the postings about cinemas. Would anyone out there happen to have worked at the Waldorf Cinema on Walford Road? Names I remember are: Mr Butler (lovely man) Mrs Lloyd (ditto) Murial, Malcolm, Gordon, Barry, Margaret, Dora, to name but a few. Would love to know how they have all fared through the years although some may no longer be with us.
 
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Yes Derek I did, I only went there once. At the time I was working with my (then) husband who did lighting for bands, we travelled an awful lot and didn't get much free time. I remember that there was more than one screen though, so it was quite well adapted even then.
 
Lovely Photos, i wonder how many turned into bingo halls. Thanks for sharing them with us Topsyturvey

Regards Stars
 
My local cinemas were The Castle in Castle Bromwich where I had my first snog in 1962 aged 15. We went to see Petticoat Pirates and I remember someone behind us making reference to the fact that it was more interesting watching us than the film!!!! The other local was the Beaufort where, in 1963, I went to see Elvis in Blue Hawaii about 4 times in the one week!! Happy days?
 
Well who remembers the ABC minors on a Saturday morning??? Come on sing along.............WE ARE THE BOYS AND GIRLS WELL KNOWN AS MINORS OF THE ABC.....AND EVERY SATURDAY WE ALL LINE UP, TO SEE THE FILMS WE LOVE AND SHOUT ABOUT WITH GLEE....WE LOVE TO LAUGH AND HAVE A SING SONG,SUCH A HAPPY CROWD ARE WE.....WE`RE ALL PALS TOGETHER WE`RE MINORS OF THE ABC sixpence stalls ninepence balcony and a free ticet for next week presented on the stage if was your birthday...the stage was allways full!! I was a Palace Erdington boy.
 
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