'In doubt' - Historic Stretford cinema with unique design at risk of being lost forever warn experts

The unique building has been empty since the mid 1990s and since then there have been numerous calls to restore and repurpose it. Today, there is even a website dedicated to the building’s past and future, where people can post their memories of the building and share updates on its current state. 

It was built in 1936 by the Jackson and Newport cinema circuit, who commissioned Salford-born architect Henry Elder to design it. He specialised in cinema design and his work was once visible in other areas of Greater Manchester including Denton, Crumpsall and Reddish, but there are none still standing today. 

Jackson and Newport gave him the assignment of designing something that reflected the film industry at the time. And to his mind, this meant “money and sex,” according to the cinema’s profile on the National Heritage website. This is why the building, with its curved frontage, resembles a cash register. There are other elements of the building that could also be interpreted as phallic. 

The Longford Cinema, as it was known originally, was also technologically ahead of its time. It was the first building in the UK to use neon tube lighting, and it also had sound proofing, underseat heating and air-con. Another distinct feature of the building were two huge murals of films and Hollywood stars of that era. 

According the Longford Cinema website, another quirky fact about the building’s construction is that, in order to build the free car park at the rear of the building, Jackson and Newport had to agree to modernise all the houses of the neighbouring estate. The estate only had pedestrian access to the area where the car park was to be built, so all the residents gave up their front gardens in exchange for hot running water and indoor bathrooms. 

The cinema auditorium could also be used as a theatre, with stage performances taking place for one whole week of every month. Several stars are said to have performed here, including Rochdale’s Gracie Fields and Julie Andrews. When the Free Trade Hall in Manchester was bombed during the Second World War, it also became home to the Halle orchestra under the direction of Sir John Barbirolli. 

Longford Cinema became the Stretford Essoldo in 1950 when it was purchased by the Essoldo Circuit, but that only lasted another 15 years or so as it struggled to keep up with the rise of television. It closed in 1965 and reopened as a bingo hall after being sold to the Ladbrokes group. 

It continued to operate as a bingo hall for the rest of its life, even despite losing a chunk when Trafford Council widened Chester Road into a dual carriageway. It got its final name, Top Rank Club, in 1986 when it was sold again to the Rank group. It finally shut for good in 1995.

Since its closure, it has been privately owned. It has undergone some maintenance over the years, which has extended its life. There have also been rumours about what it might become, including a university student hub, a gym, a health club. But for many local residents and fans of the building it is not enough. Conservation charity SAVE Britain’s Heritage have added it to their list of historic buildings at risk. 

According to the SAVE website: “It has been closed and disused since 1997 but maintained with the exterior repainted periodically. Despite some indications that there were plans to reopen it as an entertainment venue, no developed plans have come forward and its long term future is in doubt.” 

As Stretford prepares for wide-scale regeneration, the Essoldo’s future is once again a hot topic. Many people believe that bringing it back as an independent cinema or gig venue, for example, would do a lot of good to the struggling South Manchester suburb – as seen in a recent Reddit post in the Manchester subreddit. 

User Legendof1983 said: “It’s such a great building (grade II listed) that could be put to use but sadly the owner has no intention of doing anything with it. I’m surprised like so many old buildings it hasn’t mysteriously caught fire then the land sold to a developer.”

User Complex_Excuse490 said: “Spent most of my life in Stretford, it's a shame they've never done anything with it or can't. My mum and nan would go there all the time in the 80s to play bingo, always coming home smelling of cigarettes! I've been in there once, there was a special celebration of cinema for one night only when I was a kid in the 80s.”

More information about the Longford Cinema can be found on the building’s website.