Tivoli Cinema

A few points on the former “Tivoli Cinema” to correct the history:– “The Tivoli” was built by the owners and operators of the “Grand Cinema” Ryhope,(which is currently being deconstructed for rebuilding at the “Beamish Museum), The "Tivoli” had the same “architects” as that of the “Grand Ryhope” (unknown to the writer), as can be seen by the photos as identical frontages with the half-circle rounded frontage. The owner Mr Chaytor and his partners built 3 cinemas, “The Grand Cinema” Ryhope, “Tivoli”, Herrington Burn and “Palace Fencehouses”, The 3 cinemas were listed as “proprietors” as “Fencehouses Palace Ltd”. I can only advise from my knowledge by way of being very involved with the cinemas in my youth. Mr Fred Chaytor, General Manager and son of the owner ran the cinemas from approximately 1944 when the original GM was a Mr Humphreys from the opening in 1912. The “Tivoli” was not entered by going down steps to the stalls but was (albeit a steep slope), entered at ground stalls level with a left-right slight downwards slope to the stalls. Entry to the circle was by stairs, left/right going upwards and identical almost to the “Grand Cinema Ryhope. Mr Chaytor for some reason never seemed to like the "Tivoli” and very rarely visited as he was every night based at the “Grand Ryhope”. I doubt the auditorium stage width was 24' although it was deep. The projectors were identical to Ryhope Grand, “Kalee 8s” and “Western Electric Sound”. It had 4 changes weekly:– Sunday/ Monday Tuesday/ Wednesday Thursday/ Friday Saturday. Friday and Saturday twice nightly with one show the remainder of the week. Around 1958 Mr Chaytor senior died and for some reason, Mr Chaytor junior then took a quick decision to close the “Tivoli” within a couple of months. I can only assume it was because Mr Chaytor senior would not allow closure whilst he was alive! The cinema was “mothballed” and boarded up and for a short time was leased to Durham bases “FairWorld Bingo” who found it to be not “viable”. It was then locked-up and stood until Mr Chaytor (junior) having died it was just demolished by his widow near end 1999, The land stood for a few years which still showed the original brown tiles attached to the brickwork of the building attached to it (an ice cream parlour) and a house has now been built on the land where it stood. “The Palace” Fencehouses was disposed of in the late 30s and served as a supermarket for years just after the 2nd world war.