Visited with Will Knot, Acid reflux and Urblex, cheers lad's 
I was excited to see this place being in my hometown, I've always looked at the building from childhood wondering what it was like inside, then in to my teens me and all my mates used to end up in here throughout the nineties.
Not the best set of pic's tbh, Zero light in there but worth sharing.
Some borrowed history..
The Ritz Cinema was built and opened by the Union Cinemas chain on 23rd August 1937 with Robert Armstrong in "Without Orders" and Chester Morris in "I Promise to Pay". On stage was Macari and His Dutch Accordian Serenaders, and organist Alex Taylor opened the Compton 3Manual/6Rank organ, which had a Melotone attached and its illuminated console was on a lift. The Ritz Cinema also had a cafe for the convenience of its patrons.
The Ritz Cinema was taken over, together with all Union Cinemas, by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) in October 1937. It was re-named ABC in 1958.
The ABC was closed on 19th August 1972 for conversion into a bingo club in the former stalls area and a 474 seat cinema in the former balcony, which opened on 7th December 1972. A small second screen seating 90, opened in the former cafe area in November 1980 which had video projection.
The cinemas closed on 23rd October 1982, followed soon after by the bingo club closing. The former bingo club became a nightclub named Mr Smiths. In June 2004, the local authority requested that due to the redevelopment of the riverfront, the Ritz Cinema should be considered for listing as an historic building, however nothing seems to have come out of this. Mr Smiths became Synergy in March 2008 when new owners took over. In late-2009 it became the Halo nightclub, and later traded back under the name Mr Smiths until closing a few years back.
The building is due to be demolished on August 11th this year, the Warrington people have a kicked up a stink but as the buildings not listed etc it's gonna happen
1.
2.
View attachment 604667
3. I'd heard of drunks squatting on site, however We didn't encounter any even though the evidence was there.
View attachment 604668
4.
View attachment 604669
5.
View attachment 604670
6.
View attachment 604671
7.
View attachment 604672
8. On the upper floor, the only remains of one of the old cinemas all the seats and projection gear gone, but nice to see some features still remain.
View attachment 604673
9. Then on to the roof for a view of Warrington town
View attachment 604674
10.
View attachment 604675
Thanks for looking Telf..
I was excited to see this place being in my hometown, I've always looked at the building from childhood wondering what it was like inside, then in to my teens me and all my mates used to end up in here throughout the nineties.
Not the best set of pic's tbh, Zero light in there but worth sharing.
Some borrowed history..
The Ritz Cinema was built and opened by the Union Cinemas chain on 23rd August 1937 with Robert Armstrong in "Without Orders" and Chester Morris in "I Promise to Pay". On stage was Macari and His Dutch Accordian Serenaders, and organist Alex Taylor opened the Compton 3Manual/6Rank organ, which had a Melotone attached and its illuminated console was on a lift. The Ritz Cinema also had a cafe for the convenience of its patrons.
The Ritz Cinema was taken over, together with all Union Cinemas, by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) in October 1937. It was re-named ABC in 1958.
The ABC was closed on 19th August 1972 for conversion into a bingo club in the former stalls area and a 474 seat cinema in the former balcony, which opened on 7th December 1972. A small second screen seating 90, opened in the former cafe area in November 1980 which had video projection.
The cinemas closed on 23rd October 1982, followed soon after by the bingo club closing. The former bingo club became a nightclub named Mr Smiths. In June 2004, the local authority requested that due to the redevelopment of the riverfront, the Ritz Cinema should be considered for listing as an historic building, however nothing seems to have come out of this. Mr Smiths became Synergy in March 2008 when new owners took over. In late-2009 it became the Halo nightclub, and later traded back under the name Mr Smiths until closing a few years back.
The building is due to be demolished on August 11th this year, the Warrington people have a kicked up a stink but as the buildings not listed etc it's gonna happen
1.
2.
View attachment 604667
3. I'd heard of drunks squatting on site, however We didn't encounter any even though the evidence was there.
View attachment 604668
4.
View attachment 604669
5.
View attachment 604670
6.
View attachment 604671
7.
View attachment 604672
8. On the upper floor, the only remains of one of the old cinemas all the seats and projection gear gone, but nice to see some features still remain.
View attachment 604673
9. Then on to the roof for a view of Warrington town
View attachment 604674
10.
View attachment 604675
Thanks for looking Telf..
