People have shared happy memories of time spent in a beloved south Liverpool cinema.
Woolton Picture House closed its doors for good in 2020, with funding issues caused by coronavirus lockdowns. However, things changed when a crowdfunding page raised £24,000 to secure the future of the cinema.
As well as this, the cinema was granted £37,809 by the government's culture recovery fund during the pandemic, which was administered by the British Film Institute (BFI). The cinema said it collected £25,625 of the awarded funds.
READ MORE: Anger, sadness and confusion as Woolton's 'heart' lies in tatters
Supported by nearly £50,000 in funding, the cinema posted on Facebook in December 2021 to announce its plan to reopen in 2022, but this did not materialise. Ten months of silence followed before a September 2022 statement from the owners said they remained committed to reopening.
On October 4 2022, the picture house then announced it would not open in 2022 but shared a two-phase plan for reopening, with an initial target of spring 2023 – subject to the "stability" of the financial climate. This update included a promise of monthly updates on Facebook about the reopening process.
There have been no updates in the nearly six months since. The cinema has not replied to the ECHO's many requests for comment.
Robyn McKeown bought her house because it neighboured Woolton Picture House. She told the ECHO: "I would have loved to have taken my child to that cinema. I've loved it for so long, people really, really love it. I'm not sure it will ever happen now".
The Mason Street cinema, which first opened in 1927, has been closed since the pandemic. A plaque on its front wall says it is "the oldest surviving cinema in Liverpool", but the past three years have called into question the truthfulness of that statement.
Following the ECHO's report on Woolton Picture House, some readers have shared their fond memories of time spent at the iconic cinema. Christine Cook said: "Worked in Littlewoods in retail. Half day was Wednesday, we usually went to Woolton picture house. Happy days."
Gale Dugan said: "Watched Watership Down here with my dad in the 70s and cried all the way through it."
Cheryl Stewart-Brady said: "Love it. I vaguely remember reading John Lennon took Cynthia on a date to it. I do hope it opens again soon!"
Keith Auckland said: "Watched many a movie at the Woolton cinema, sad if it does not re-open."
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