Wigan Album

The sweet shop was Westheads. Does anyone remwember the Court cinema booking office? There was a passageway which ran through to Library St. to the right of the where the girls in slacks are standing and the Booking Office was on the other side of it from the Cinema.

Last film I saw at the Court Cinema was "White Christmas". Took my old dad to see it. That was when they produced good family films.

Josie. If you come onto this site. Answer to your query, on Spring View site, plus little info.

The fantastic cinema had an even more fantastic toffee shop.
Probably explains why I had to have false teeth!

Last film I saw here was 'Cromwell', starring Richard Harris and Alec Guinness.
It would have been circa 1972, and the cinema was getting a little run down. There was a large tear in a corner of the screen, which had been roughly stitched together, and proved a distraction all the way through the film.

I'm sure The Court had double seats as me and my mate used to sit in them for a laugh.I remember the Summer Place theme being played the first time I went to the pictures with a girl.

Wigan are always asking for a theatre the court was built as a theatre and then changed into cinema so it can be changed back

I recollect as a boy there being a cafe/restuarant on the first floor level.balcony level. I recall having afternoon tea there. I also recollect the top balcony ( The Gods) the entrance to which was down the side adjacent to the church

I watched Mary Poppins here four Saturdays in a row so I could learn the words to "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"!

I believe I have mentioned this before. The Court Cinema at one time, had an small orchestra that was situated in front of the screen. It also had a theatre organ that played to the audience, before the film started. During the blackout, during the war, the organist got knocked down by a bus whilst on his way home, and he had to have his leg amputated. Also during the war, down the the passageway, that led to Library Street, there was the British Restaurant. It served the public with a substantial meal. My mother took me in on two, or three occasions.

Nice older photo, no trees growing from the upperworks. Has everyone forgotten about the Organ that used to rise up out of the stage, just like the Tower Ballroom.

Check out PHOTOS OF WIGAN. NEW GALLERY. COURT CINEMA. To see what it's like now Well in 2006 when me and brian took the photographs. Can't believe it's 6 years ago.... It only seems like last year!!!

I'm sure in the 1950's the sweet shop was another of MEESONS shops?

Albert, about the organist, his name was John Abbott. The organ was a 2 manual, 7 rank Compton, which was removed in the early '60's. It now lives in a Catholic church in Swinton, but minus the drums and other percussions, and the Court console (the bit you play) which was damaged in a fire. A replacement was found of the same make, and as far as I know it's all still there.

Albert. I think it was called the Civic Restaurant wasn't it?, not the British.

That's a fairly late pic of the Court. Originally the frontage balcony said Talking Pictures. Also there were only two theatres which had a "gods" floor, the Court & the Hippodrome..

Ken. I have just had a look under Google. I typed in " Origins of Civic Restaurants". It states that they came came under the Civil Restaurant Act, but were known as the British Restaurant. There were quite a lot still in existance, in 1946, in various parts of the country.

It's obvious from the responses what a wealth of memories this place holds in the minds of Wiganers and I'm no exception, my first real "courting" experience was here in the early 1960's, seems like yesterday.

Am not sure about The Court having double seats but they had them in The County thats for sure.

Also check out Photos of Wigan/Album/Work/Cinemas

I moved away from Wigan many years ago and was wondering if the Court was still standing or has it been demolished?

Fletch..

still standing now a "club" as are most of the premisesesin King St...if not a club then a pizza placeor a kebab shop or a chippy,,,all changed

This brings back memories. I went to watch 7 brides for 7 brothers at cinema with my sister, so this is most likely the exact time and place we saw it. But I would have dated it earlier than late 60s as I was married by then. Mid 60s maybe? And as for White Christmas - I went watching that too. My parents took us as my mum wanted see it. I was very young and still remember seeing Danny Kaye singing but I had always thought it was a live performance for many years but I was too young to understand.