Lyric Cinema

I first visited this hall some time around 1946 and came to know it very well.The admission prices in 1953 were 6d for the Saturday matinee and otherwise 1/3d for the front and 2/– for the back.The sound was very ropey at that time and so were the projectors.Breakdowns being a very common feature especially when ancient ‘Three Stooges’ films were shown as a part of the matinee presentation. The cinema received a heavy renovation in the early part of 1953 when it received new seating and presumably a new sound system.On Coronation Day 1953 a portion of Herbert Street was used for a childrens' street party which I attended.That day the Lyric presented a cartoon film show and gave free admission to all children. The Lyric was located on the north side of a small river which used to flood during times of heavy rain. I can recall the hall being closed on several occasions because of a flood risk. Though I can never recall the hall actually being flooded. One of the unusual aspects of the Lyric Cinema was the large amount of stained glass contained in the entrance lobby windows. The dominant colour was blue. As a consequence the cinema was often referred to as the ‘Ty Glas’ by Welsh speaking locals.A few years ago my sister in law told me that the cinema had been converted into a number of retail premises. However, some of the blue glass still remained in the lobby area that was now a part of a chemist’s shop.