It was opened in 1915 to a design by Percy Hothersall and with almost a thousand seats was I think the biggest cinema outside the city centre at the time.
Even now long after its days as a place to see films have ceased it is still a pretty impressive building.
Its green and cream terracotta tiles marked it out on that stretch of Oxford Road which apart from the Town Hall opposite and the old offices of the Poor Law Union on the corner of Cavendish Street was a drab spot.
And I just missed going there.
It closed as a cinema in 1968 and I had to be content with using it as a pub which it had become after unsuccessful stints as a bingo hall and snooker venue.
Still some of the original features still exist including the balcony, vaulted ceiling and much plasterwork.
I guess the cinema entrepreneur, H.D. Moorhouse would be pleased.*
The Grosvenor was part of his picture house chain which included two in Chorlton and given that for a while he lived on Wilbraham Road just down from the Lloyd’s Hotel I guess he must have visited the Grosvenor.
*H.D. Moorhouse, http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/H.D.%20Moorhouse
Painting; the Grosvenor Picture Palace © 2014 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures,
Web: www.paintingsfrompictures.co.uk
Facebook: Paintings from Pictures
No comments:
Post a Comment