Langworthy Picturedrome
104 Langworthy Road,
Salford,
M6
104 Langworthy Road,
Salford,
M6
2 people
favorited this theater
Located in the Seedley district of Salford, near Manchester. The Langworthy Picturedrome was opened on 12th May 1913 and is an excellent example of a Northern England street corner cinema, (think end of terrace and “Coronation Street” [UK TV soap opera]).
The façade was as plain as the interior being executed in red Accrington brick. Although newspaper reports at the time of opening described the cinema as having no expense spared in both décor and furnishings but it has to be said that this was a plain cinema.
After World War I, the cinema was refurbished in what the newspapers described as a “most lavish style”. In 1931 the cinema changed hands and was again refurbished and a RCA sound system was installed.
By now it had serious competition in the shape of the palatial 2,000 seater, Ambassador Super Cinema at the top of Langworthy Road, which had opened on Christmas Eve 1928 (although many local people say that they went to different cinemas as much as three times a week and that the Ambassador Super Cinema was for special trips out).
Little is known of the Langworthy’s World War II years. By 1944 the cinema had another new owner in Jacksons' Amusements, Ltd. By 1949 it became part of Proprietary Theatres Ltd. Later Mr. Talbot bought the cinema under the Talbot Theatres organisation. The cinema was refurbished once again and continued showing films until 6th October 1961 when it closed.
It reopened on 7th November as a bingo club (not another one!) which continued until the early-1990’s when it became a cut-price wine store.
That store closed around 2001 and the Langworthy Picturedrome was unfortunately torn down in 2003. Housing has been built on the site.
Steve Lynch asks, “Why is it that regeneration for these types of building nearly always means destruction and demolition? Planners are lazy, instead of choosing the easy option of demolition they should look for new and innovative use of these types of buildings. Regeneration should mean restoration, reuse, reinvent and rejuvenate, not raise to the ground.”
Contributed by
Steve Lynch
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
As predicted the Langworthy is no more “wonderful Salford Council” doing what they do best destroying the past!!! It’s as if they are ashamed of Salford’s rich social and architectural heritage and they want to finish of what they started in the sixties. The last remaining great Cinema a few hundred yards up the at the top of Langworthy Road, the Ambassador ( http://www.ambassadorproject.homestead.com ) will probably meet the same fate if it’s left to these uninspired political philistines!!!
Yet another broken link
Opening date as a cinema was 12/05/1913. Closure came on 06/10/1961, re-opening 07/11/1961 on bingo.