I never went to the cinema in Gatley.
I wasn’t born when it opened its doors as the Tatton Kinema, on October 14, 1937, with Dorothy Lamour in “Jungle Princess”.
It had seating for 900 in the stalls and 300 in the circle, and included an 18 foot stage, six dressing rooms, and a restaurant.
I could just have visited in 1971, when the restaurant was converted to a 111-seat cinema known as Tatton Minor, opening on February 4th of that year 1971.
“The original cinema became Tatton Major which closed four years later, when it was twined with the larger stalls area becoming the 647 seat Tatton Major, the former circle the 247 seat Tatton Minor, and the restaurant cinema the Tatton Mini.
It was an extremely successful cinema – one of the most profitable in the North West and was eventually bought by Apollo who renamed it Apollo Cinema 1,2,&3.
A multiplex opened about a mile away and the Apollo Cinema closed around 2000. The cinema has recently been demolished except for its facade, which flats have been constructed behind”.*
And now as Andy’s pictures show it is about to go through another change.
According to the MEN, "the Housing association Stockport Homes has bought the site.
Planning permission for the Gatley Road site was granted in 2017 - two years after the application was actually submitted. The iconic cinema facade will be kept.
Stockport Homes, which manages the town hall’s housing stock, bought the building last month from previous owner Dickens Property Group”.
The new development is for 7 apartments for shared ownership and 26 apartments for rent for the over 55 age group.
And that is all I have to say.
Location; Gatley
Pictures; The Tatton, 2018, from the collection of Andy Robertson
*cinema treasures, http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2536
** Tatton Cinema finally to be transformed - after closing its doors in 2001
Work is set to begin next month, Alex Scapens, April 10, 2018, https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/tatton-cinema-finally-transformed-after-14511240
It had seating for 900 in the stalls and 300 in the circle, and included an 18 foot stage, six dressing rooms, and a restaurant.
I could just have visited in 1971, when the restaurant was converted to a 111-seat cinema known as Tatton Minor, opening on February 4th of that year 1971.
“The original cinema became Tatton Major which closed four years later, when it was twined with the larger stalls area becoming the 647 seat Tatton Major, the former circle the 247 seat Tatton Minor, and the restaurant cinema the Tatton Mini.
A multiplex opened about a mile away and the Apollo Cinema closed around 2000. The cinema has recently been demolished except for its facade, which flats have been constructed behind”.*
And now as Andy’s pictures show it is about to go through another change.
According to the MEN, "the Housing association Stockport Homes has bought the site.
Stockport Homes, which manages the town hall’s housing stock, bought the building last month from previous owner Dickens Property Group”.
The new development is for 7 apartments for shared ownership and 26 apartments for rent for the over 55 age group.
And that is all I have to say.
Location; Gatley
Pictures; The Tatton, 2018, from the collection of Andy Robertson
*cinema treasures, http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2536
** Tatton Cinema finally to be transformed - after closing its doors in 2001
Work is set to begin next month, Alex Scapens, April 10, 2018, https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/tatton-cinema-finally-transformed-after-14511240
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