I suppose there will be few who now remember Tom Mix, Lillian Gish and a host of other silent movie stars.
Few also, who will be able to talk about regular visits to the Roxy Cinema in Carnforth.
It opened in 1923, as the Kinema, and could seat 780.
And with clever business sense it was positioned close to the railway station, making it a perfect venue for anyone who missed their train and had a few hours to kill.
In 1940 it changed its name to the Roxy and for reasons I haven’t discovered, reduced its seating capacity to 465.
It continued to operate until 1963, but had gone by 1966.*
It wasn’t a picture palace I knew, but Andy Robertson fell across it on Sunday, telling me, that “On Sunday night stayed over at Arnside Youth Hostel. On the way there I stopped off at a few places, and when I saw this in Carnforth I immediately thought of you!”
And I instantly knew it had to be a story for the blog.
Alas while the ghost of Tom Mix and Ms Lillian Gish may wander the auditorium in the dead of night, they will encounter nothing more exciting than a shelf of baked beans, some fresh veg and a fine bottle of wine.
Along with their excellent range of pastries which we indulge in on a Sunday morning.
Location; Carnforth
Pictures; the Roxy Cinema, Carnforth, 2018, from the collection of Andy Robertson
*Cinema Treasures, http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/37416
It opened in 1923, as the Kinema, and could seat 780.
And with clever business sense it was positioned close to the railway station, making it a perfect venue for anyone who missed their train and had a few hours to kill.
In 1940 it changed its name to the Roxy and for reasons I haven’t discovered, reduced its seating capacity to 465.
It continued to operate until 1963, but had gone by 1966.*
And I instantly knew it had to be a story for the blog.
Alas while the ghost of Tom Mix and Ms Lillian Gish may wander the auditorium in the dead of night, they will encounter nothing more exciting than a shelf of baked beans, some fresh veg and a fine bottle of wine.
Along with their excellent range of pastries which we indulge in on a Sunday morning.
Location; Carnforth
Pictures; the Roxy Cinema, Carnforth, 2018, from the collection of Andy Robertson
*Cinema Treasures, http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/37416
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