Many thanks to Frank Baker for this week’s Friday Photo.
Frank kindly gave me a copy of his film Hoylake, Then & Now and among the many super images is the one above of the old Kingsway Cinema on Market Street.  I don’t think I’ve seen a photo of the exterior of the cinema before. A bit Art Deco looking to me. The Kingsway opened in July, 1915 and according to wikipedia Art Deco hadn’t become popular until mid 1920s. But I think the Kingsway was rebuilt in 1935 for whatever reason (see comments on the other Hoylake cinema)? A photo of the pre-1935 building would be ace if anyone has a copy.
I think the cinema was built on what was known as Bird’s Yard… yet another Hoylake business operated by the local Bird family.
I’ve published other photos of the Kingsway before… this one and a view of the interior. Over the road, and also with a hint to the Art Deco period was the Kingsway garage. Here’s another photo if it.
By the way, Frank’s film was shown at this years Festival of Firsts (facebook page) and I’m sure you’ll get another chance to see it at some point in the future.
You’ll recognise the building today as your local Home Bargains store (below). I’ve often wondered what’s in those two floors above the ground floor… if they’re empty that’s a fair amount space lying dormant.
I’m sure the cinema was still there in the 60s. It became a supermarket where you walked around the store collecting digital cards for the items you wished to purchase. These were fed into a data processor before your items were collected for you. It then became a Finefate supermarket. Birds yard was on the opposite corner of School lane. It was a large timber yard.
re: Bird’s Yard
ah yes, I did wonder that myself. I’ve seen a post on another site that said the cinema was built on Bird’s Yard.
The cinema closed on the 12th March 1960 and was demolished starting August that year. It took quite a time and I think there were still bits of it into the following year. Fine Fare supermarket rose on the site; I’m not quite sure when it opened but certainly before the end of 1962. They gave free chickens away on the opening week.
fine fare opened 7th december 1961 as charles says there were 7 thousand chickens to be given away, tescos took over november 22nd 1966,thanks charles for all your cinema info
Was it a branch of Scotts? Scotts in Moreton (not Liscard) had the same system:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUVtb8uLNOc
In the late fifties we could see a different film every night ,Kingsway ,WinterGardens and Tudor in WestKirby all ran two programmes a week with the choice of a different film on Sundays .
My memory is of the smokey atmosphere, the WinterGardens were the best for taking a young lady to ( they had double seats !)
Did we all pay for the front and sneak to the back ?
I’m afraid you are mistaken about the Sunday cinema. The Lord’s Day Observance Society and a referendum among the populace in 1947 ensured that there was nonesuch until April 1973 when the Classic (the Winter Gardens renamed) finally brought it to the district.
Yes, the Winter Gardens had double seats until early 1970
In the mid sixties there was a cafe above the supermarket.
We use to have our speech day at the Kingsway from the parade school A great cinema .
I remember ‘The Kingsway’ very well from the 1950s. It belonged to the same chain as’The Tudor’ in West Kirby which I remember:even better.. Both showed the Movietone news whereas ‘The Winter Gardens’ (Wints) showed the Pathe news.
The manager of the Kingsway must have been fond of Mantovani at that time since his records were often on during the intervals. The Tudor was a bit more up-market.Its manager, Mr Wallis, favoured light classics such as Johann Strauss and owned a small record shop attached to his premises( to the right-hand side of its main entrance. He advertised his shop on the screen and pointed out that all the records heard there could be bought in the shop.
Graham –
I’ve just seen your contribution to the comments on the Kingsway cinema.
Were you a pupil at Calday from 1947 to about 1953/54 ?
Peter H
Deco with Egyptianising elements.