Astor Cinema

Located in Birkenhead, on the Wirrel, Cheshire. The Claughton Music Hall was opened on 16th January 1862. There were two halls in the building, one seating 600, the other seating 200. It closed in 1911 to be converted into the Claughton Picture Palace which opened on 1st April 1912. By 1927 it was operated by the Birmingham based Levy Circuit, headed by Sol Levy. The smaller of the two halls was converted into a ballroom. In 1930 it was equipped with a British Thomson-Houston(BTH) sound system and on 16th June 1930 it played its first talkie “Sunny Side Up” with Janet Gaynor.

In September 1952 it was taken over by new operators and was closed for refurbishment, re-opening as the Astor Cinema with 800 seats. In 1956 it began screening ‘Continental’ films but this was a short lived venture.

It became the Astor Tombola Club in 1958, offering physical items as prizes. From 1960 when cash prizes were allowed it became the Astor Bingo Club and operated until early-1981. It was demolished in March 1982.

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