HYDE CHESHIRE

Harry Rutherford's
Festival of Britain Mural




Wednesday 12 October 2011

Our Beautiful Theatre Royal Pictures



My first memories of the Theatre Royal, are queuing to go in on a Saturday morning for the matinee.

I recall the thrill of waiting for the doors to open, laughing and joking with others who went each week… One of the highlights was when the alarm went off at the fire station across the way.. we’d all cheer and clap as the engines came out with lights flashing and bells ringing. Also, the ambulances coming out of their station around the corner, they were cream with dark blue wings.. they had a crest on the sides and like the fire engines a big silver bell ringing away.

Of course no visit to the cinema was complete without a visit to Nightingales Toffee shop… I can still smell that shop now in my mind and see those class jars full of every sweet imaginable.

Back to the queue, and when the doors opened we would pile in and pay our money and make our way to the seats. We’d sit there wondering what had happened to Flash Gordon or The Lone Ranger as they were in great danger at the end of lasts weeks serial.. We’d laugh at all the cartoons, my favourite was Donald Duck and Goofy.

In the school holidays a trip in the pictures was a must.. the queues for these went around the block at times.. I recall one such time when Bambi was being shown and the queens went around the corner, up Henry Street and along Onward Street.

Later in my teens all the ones I hung around with made Sunday night our picture night.. A large group of us would make our way upstairs to the front of the circle.. we still called at Nightingales until it closed its doors.

I saw some fantastic films at the Theatre Royal.. as many others from Hyde and surrounding areas did.. it was a very sad day when this picture house shut. That is sad for Hyde in itself, but then to see the building doing nothing for so long is even sadder…
We’d find it a pleasure to feature your memories and photo’s here as a tribute to the Theatre, and the building itself.    



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Thank you to Dave Williams for all his time and effort and skill in providing all these pictures

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Forgive the length of this post but we think it is more than justified and are sure many memories will be stirred.  

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Look even the building looks sad

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http://www.hydetheatreroyal.co.uk/

YOU CAN SEND YOUR MEMORIES AND PICTURES
TO US HERE AT 
hydonian@gmail.com 

4 comments:

Werneth Low said...

Thanks for the generous helping of Theatre Royal memorabilia. Whilst I have my own fond recollections of wonderful shows enjoyed there and later on seeing iconic 60s films such as Psycho and A Taste of Honey, I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would want this building preserved. Last Sunday I stood in pouring rain in the Asda car park and looked carefully at it. I love the terracotta dressing of the front but how very sad to see, through the camera's telephoto lens, the once proud insignia of Hyde with its ONWARD motto. I compared the building with its next door neighbour, the Festival Theatre which, incidentally, was itself a cinema in a previous life - The Alexandra, and I felt very much that the beauty of the Theatre Royal lies not in its crumbling facade and peeling paintwork but in the precious memories which are treasured in the minds of countless Hydonians the world over. I love Hyde - it's my place - and it isn't my wish to offend those who have worked so hard for so long with Theatre Royal Onward and other groups in the hope of restoring this theatre to its former glory, but it seems to me that it's a perpetual dream which is unlikely to be realised.

Anonymous said...

All those marvellous amateur dramatics there too at the Theatre Royal. We went to them all. They still remain with me. i remember seeing a school friend Nadine Thomson and her boyfriend in the shows. I think she lived just around the corner from the theatre.
years later my son in his thirties is in the same shows down here in Cheltenham! Where on earth do Hyde amateur dramatics and musicals take place now? AnnBacon(StaFFORD)

Anonymous said...

I also remember the Festival Theatre nearby being restored and reopened. Two Astley Grammar Schol teachers were involved in that I think. Maureen Johnson an inspiring music teacher and Norah Barker who taught English.Is it still open?
Ann Bacon(Stafford)

Tom said...

Werneth Low:
I think your thoughts on this will be echo'd by others, but while there is a chance to save it I think we should at least give it a go.
Saying that I think not just Hyde but Tameside and beyond would benefit from the Theatre Royal being put back to it's former glory. What would be even better is if Hyde itself should put itself forward to be a unique place to visit. Let Stalybridge have it's 'Vagas' and Ashton Under Lyne it's Council Head Quarters. Hyde should become the place to come when you want to buy decent goods, from descent shops, eat good food in great restaurants, drink in public houses that don't need doormen, and be able to be entertained in a theatre restored to its former glory.. It might be a dream but it might also be reality one day.
Ann I am pleased to inform you that Hyde Festival Theatre is still going.. I'll sort a post out in a few days with some of Daves pictures for you.. in thee mean time follow this link http://www.hydefestivaltheatre.org.uk/