Wrexham cinema photo creates movie memory nostalgia

Whether it was date night or a family affair, seeing the latest release on the big screen, chocolates or popcorn in hand, was a real treat.

With the internet a thing of the future, watching the stars of Holywood and Pinewood on the silver screen was an experience like no other.

A lot of movie memories were sparked when the Leader shared a photo of the Hippodrome Theatre, on Henblas Street, in Wrexham, from 1970.

We asked people to share theirs. Here are just some of those memorable cinema moments from readers, including first picture house visits:

The Hippodrome Theatre, on Henblas Street, Wrexham, in 1970.

Kevin Garrigan: "1978 me nine of my friends went to watch Grease. It was that good we all went back watch it five times. Happy days, 16-years-old."

Ceri Jackson: "Remember going to see Land Before Time on a Saturday morning with my parents and younger brother.

"I came back from the toilet during the movie and instead of sitting in my seat I remember sitting in the aisle for the remainder of the movie, that was fun."

Pete Howell: "My dad was the chief projectionist at the Odeon, the Hippodrome and the Vogue at different times.

"I Remember when Herbie was released, and to promote the film, a VW Beetle was used, and he took us to school and back in the Herbie car."

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Michaela Susan Edwards: "My first ever cinema visit there watching Titanic."

Bridget Bellamy: "Me and my other half went for our first date here, August 4, 1997. We saw Men in Black, then had a Maccies. Still going strong 25 years later, I miss the old Hippodrome."

Josie Valentine: "Taking my siblings to the Saturday Morning Club."

Gill Ellis: "I used to sing on the stage in the Odeon on a Saturday morning. I used to sing One Finger One Thumb Keep Moving and Rawhide."

Geoffrey Williams: "Wonderful place offering many good memories. I have been in there many times. As well as Joe Williams hairdressing studio and Bob's snooker hall above the cinema. Happy times."

Lowri Eastman: "My first cinema experience was at the Hippodrome watching Jungle Book."

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Jan Chandler: "Remember their hot dogs. Also standing by the door to see the end of the film before belting down the street to catch the Oswestry bus. It left 10.15pm and too late to catch it on King Street, so used to run to Bradley Road just hoping traffic lights would be on red to delay the bus. Was always touch and go. Kept us fit I suppose."

Gav Hughes: "Watching Ghostbusters 2 and Jackie Chan's first mainstream movie, Rumble in the Bronx. Still got the Flicks magazine with the Ghostbusters 2 write-up from the Hippodrome foyer."

David Kelly: "Bambi as a toddler with my mum and dad in the Majestic, West Side Story in the Odeon and Grease at The Hippodrome."

Ben Ellis: "A golden period of my childhood, went to see my first movie ET in October 1982 aged three with my grandad. Also got dumped outside it in 1997 after watching Men in Black."

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Jayne Jones: "My godmother used to take me here all the time. I thought I was so grown up."

Bethan Jones: "I remember the break time when staff would come around with ice cream on a tray, I always looked forward to it."

Lindsey Jones: "Going to see the Bodyguard - I was a little bit too young and was sweating cobs. The feeling when I got in was immense!

"Also, those red corridors going to the toilet frightened the life out of me!"

Meg Brimfield: "The Glynn, the Odeon, the Empire, the Magestic. The Glynn I think had a tin sheeting roof and if it rained you couldn't hear the film. That's the one I remember the most."

Chris Pierce: "I remember going to see the Empire Strikes Back, and the owner came out in a string vest and shouted at everyone for making 'too much noise'. We were kids who were a little excited. The image of that string vest is seared into my memory."

Marie Purdie: "Moonwalker, eight times, front row."

• Read more: Looking back at Wrexham Odeon Children's Club

Jay Kay: "Terminator 2 and the biggest queue I ever witnessed there. It went all the way to the Old Vaults!"

Ian Jones: "In 1973 there was a lot of young lads from Cefn working at ETC, Ellesmere, all aged 16 to 21.

"A load of us would go to cinema on a Sunday night. It was the time of the Bruce Lee films era.

"We would fill the whole row and few seats in front. Always a race to bus stop to catch the last bus home. Happy days."

Billy Victoria: "Queued up to see The Little Mermaid on my own at the Hippodrome when I was 10. I was the first in the queue but was somehow given a ticket to screen 2 upstairs and ended up in a screening of Ghost.

"Had to sneak in to the back of screen 1 to see The Little Mermaid. Still fuming!"

Jay Ebbz: "I was nine when I first got smuggled in there by older boys to watch the first Jaws."

Jon Roberts: "Remember going there as a kid to watch films like the Land That Time Forgot and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, back when cinemas had character and soul."

Gwyn Alun Ingman: "Meeting the Squire of Yorke from Erddig on a Saturday morning at the Hippodrome, as he used to go there regular on his Pennyfarthing."

Shaun Parry: "Everybody chanting 'Rocky' while watching one of the Rocky films and the owner stopping the film and saying it won't come back on until the chanting stops."

• For more photos and nostalgia chat, visit the 'Local Bygones' Facebook group, or the Local Bygones section of leaderlive.co.uk