It opened in 1920 and was near the bus terminus at West Didsbury just before Palatine Road crosses Lapwing Lane.
It was not the most attractive building and had nothing of the charm or elegance of other cinemas which were built at the same time.
To be honest it was a brick slab adorned at either side by a stone faced entrance.
That said it could seat 1,034 people and had a cafe which was important enough to be included in the name of the cinema.
And apart from the Scala was all there was unless you headed into Chorlton or Didsbury.
Now I did struggle at first to locate it because there was no address on any of the pictures I came across, and even Derek Southall in his book on Manchester’s cinemas omitted to say exactly where it was on Palatine Road.*
Not only did I discover it was somewhere they played regularly but also that it was near the West Didsbury Bus terminus.
Of course it has long gone and the clue to its departure comes in the picture which is dated 1960 and has that sign announcing “CLOSED THIS CINEMA HAS BEEN SOLD.”
So I never knew the place, never bought a ticket to sit in the dark or munched my way through one of its sandwiches.
But I bet there will be someone who does. And so in that time honoured catch phrase, “watch this spot.”
Picture; The Palatine Picture House and Cafe, 1960, J F Harris, mo9250, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council, http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass
*The Golden Years of Manchester Picture Houses, Derek Southall, http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/index.php/the-golden-years-of-manchesters-picture-houses.html
It is now the Royal Bank of Scotland and one side of the building houses a company that looks after personal care of adults.
ReplyDeleteWe lived behind a grocery shop [my dads] in cotton lane withington and every saturday was given my entry money for the Scala??? at the top end of Palatine road. { known universally as Palestine Road] On the 17 may 1948 my bro had his 5th birthday and was permitted to enter a cinema to enjoy the childrens matinee. The lady in the box was not convinced of my bro new status and we were declined entry, running at 90 mph we soon arrived at the Palatine where we had a trouble free entry.
ReplyDeleteTom is mistaken, this building stood exactly where the dhss and job centre is now. In its later years it was used as a garage and car sales place. Was demolished early 1980's.
ReplyDeleteMy parents lived in a flat “over”the cinema in the early 1950’s and I was a baby there until we moved to Rusholme. I was too young to remember living there but it is likely that my dad sold cars from the forecourt.
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