Below is an extract from the family and friends forum on the home page.

The cinema tales are interesting. I was wondering how many members from the Gorton area remember going to the Olympia, opposite Cross St. It became Woolworths for many years and is now a discount store or something

No, the Olympia was on Hyde Rd. The building is still there, the front of it is sort of half round. (photo shown above) Right opposite was Cross St and Lord St. The cinema was on the corner of Park Avenue?, which is still there. Leads to Sunny Brow. The back of the cinema was in Agnew Rd. On the corner of Lord St was a newsagents run by an Arthur Askey lookalike called Jacko Seddon. I reckon the cinema was one of the first to go, about 1959/60. Regards Mike

Incidentally, opposite the Cosmo was a building either offices or warehouse, not sure which. May have been a church at some time because there was a hall with a stage. (Yes it was a church with a hall, it has only been knock down within in the last 10 years or so.) Round the back of this place was the entrance to Gorton Boys Club, which I joined about 1960. Anyone remember it? My older brother Phil helped run the football team.One of his mates was a disabled lad called Reggie, lived on Chapman St.He had a little 3 wheel motor and I used to get rides in it. Had to lie low in case we were spotted. Great site,keep up the good work.

Many thanks Mike, you were right to doubt Park Ave, and you are not far wrong, it was in fact Parkdale Ave. Or perhaps it may have changed it's name? Does anyone know? 18/08/0

Olympia cinema, Gorton.

Dear Al,
There's a wee controversy about the location of the Olympia cinema on Hyde Road, Gorton (See Above). Wish I could help, but after 45 years absence it ain't easy! The building on the corner with the domed roof was definitely the billiard hall, but unfortunately I have no recollection of the three storied house next to it. My memory says the Olympia was next door to the billiard hall, but after looking at the photograph it must have been the building on the other side of the house. If nothing else the "Lymp" was a lot wider than the house appears to be.

But I can say with some confidence that it was run by our near neighbours Dolly and Irene Barlow. "Aunty" Dolly and her niece Irene, lived at the last house in Gloucester Street, just behindDempsey's shoe shop on the corner of Cross Street.

Dolly looked after the money and issued the "tickets" while Irene was the usherette. The tickets were metal tokens, the shape of which denoted which price seats you were in, and they'd probably been in use since the Durango Kid was in nappies.

To the right of the facade was a covered passageway, which led down to another box office which was used for entrance to the cheap seats at the front. Opening onto the passageway were a couple of fire doors, which were easily opened from inside to let your mates in without paying. As if.

Regards,
Cass Cassidy
ex Gloucester Street 28/09/05

Cass has now solved the mystery, by sending this map link, see: Map