Norwich Cinemas 1911 - 1961. Full information on all the cinemas mentioned here will be found in my blog on the home page

The splendid Haymarket restaurant. A result of the rebuild in 1921.

Steam engine in front of the Hippodrome

The Regal became a hugely popular Bingo hall in the 1970's. It has gone through many hands in the last 60 years, but still looks much the same

The Hippodrome in situ at top left. Most people these days find it very difficult to understand how such an imposing building fitted into the space now occupied by the present day hideous car park. This is a very rare, and entirely incidental, view of the majestic building.

The Capitol in 1934, a beacon of wonder on a dark night. I lived 100 yards away all the fifties, and must have made the 5 minute walk 100 times - never in vain.

The Picture House 1913. Very rare photo of the original building before the 1921 rebuild

The Ritz Cinema 1938. Its first year of operation, while its target Larkman estate was still expanding. It served the area well for over 20 years

Empire Cinema 1923.  a very rare photo of the Empire as a complete building, one of only two I've ever seen; the other is elsewhere in this section. The standard Empire photo in all the books (including my own), is of the staff outside the foyer in 1913, the year it opened.

The Thatched in its idiosyncratic prime. It operated  from 1915 to 1930, but closed rather than adjust to sound

Long queues for the re-opening in September 1949,  now called "The Norvic" after trading as "The Electric" for the previous 37 years.

The dreaded "The Sound Of Music" which took The Gaumont out of circulation for many barren months in 1965

The Carlton 1949. A wonderful piece of low tech promotion for 'She Wore A Ywellow Ribbon'

1913 and a proud staff for the newly opened cinema

The very select interior of the very select Noverre cinema. I would often sit in splendid isolation in the single seats at the side

From austere elegance to opulent splendour - when the cinema was treated with the awe and respect it deserved.

The magnificent foyer of The Regent. The door on the left led to the stalls; the stairs led to a restaurant, later converted to a bar and pool table.

The stairs led through the opening top right for a special night with the girl friend

In later days the ultra modern 'Grillette' added to the glamour