London's Lost Station Cinemas (at Victoria & Waterloo)

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  • Опубликовано: 21 окт 2021
  • For several decades in the 20th century, two London railway terminals- Victoria and Waterloo- were equipped with their very own cinemas.
    In this video, we’ll be looking at the intriguing story behind this pair of Art Deco picture houses... and what became of them.
    I’ve received some truly wonderful comments on this channel recently and would like to express my sincere appreciation to each and every one of you for your support. Your kind words mean so much to me and they really do keep this channel going. Thank you.
    If you haven’t yet subscribed to robslondon, I’d really appreciate it if you could please consider clicking the button to sign up- it would be great to have you along and, in doing so, you’ll be ensuring you don’t miss out on any future videos, as well as helping the channel to grow!
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    I’ve included a selection of clips from vintage films in this video, and would highly recommend you check out each one in its entirety- you won’t be disappointed!
    These are:
    London Terminus (1944)
    • London Terminus: Water...
    Terminus (1961)
    • Terminus (1961)
    If you'd like to learn more about the arches beneath Waterloo station, please be sure to check out my earlier video on the subject:
    • Exploring London Water...
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    The Vaults Theatre:
    www.thevaults.london/whats-on
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    My website:
    www.robslondon.com
    My Etsy Store:
    www.etsy.com/uk/shop/robsonli...
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Music used in this video:
    Missouri Scrambler (Will Osborne, 1940)
    • Video
    The Gentleman Awaits (Will Osborne, 1938)
    • 1938 Will Osborne (the...
    Barnyard Medley (Will Osborne, 1936)
    • Will Osborne & His Orc...
    Starry (Kevin MacLeod)
    • Kevin MacLeod: Starry
    Love Struck (E’s Jammy Jams)
    • Love Struck - E's Jamm...
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Thanks so much again friends. Stay well, and please be sure to stay tuned!
  • КиноКино

Комментарии • 304

  • @ianmcclavin
    @ianmcclavin 2 года назад +17

    I went to the one at Victoria a couple of times with my late father in the 60's and 70's. My parents moved down to Crawley in 1955, and I was born down there in '63. We often came back to London on the train from Three Bridges for various reasons though, and stopped off to watch some newsreels and cartoons there on more than one occasion. I was unaware of the other one at Waterloo. Crawley itself had a cinema steeped in history, as it predated the New Town by over 20 years, this too was demolished, more recently, in the name of redevelopment.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Thanks for sharing those memories Ian. Stay well.

  • @frankandrew6703
    @frankandrew6703 Год назад +4

    Fantastic video, thank you! My dad used to take me to the "cartoon cinema" at Victoria Station when I was a youngster on a regular basis during the late '60s. We'd drive over from Battersea. He was Polish having served in the Polish navy during the war & settled in the UK. He was quite a serious man & I dont recall him laughing or joking much but when 'Laurel & Hardy' was shown he would ROAR with laughter. Lol, I remember sinking into my seat bieng so embarrased by his loud laughter but, now, have such fond & poignant memories of this time. Thanks again for this.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  Год назад +2

      Thank you so much Frank, I love this comment and found it very moving. I hope your dad had a good life here 🇵🇱Take care my friend and stay well.

    • @frankandrew6703
      @frankandrew6703 Год назад

      @@Robslondon Thanks for the nod. Yes, he had a good & prosperous life on the whole. Miss him dearly & wish I'd paid more attention to his pre-war & war time experiences instead of being the stroppy teenager I was, lol.
      On another note, you'd mentioned boutique cinemas making a comeback. I recall the 'Paris Pullman' on Drayton Gardens. They used to do all-nighters in the mid-70s ('Duel', 'American Graffiti', 'Ice Station Zebra', 'Farenheit 451', etc) it was a great place to get your movie-fix without paying a fortune. Any chance you'll do a piece on that?
      All the best!

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  Год назад

      @@frankandrew6703 Cheers Andrew 🙂I didn't know about that cinema... I'll bear it in mind if I do a video around that area. Cheers and stay well.

  • @bobkirby2603
    @bobkirby2603 2 года назад +16

    Absolutely brilliant history of London I only remember it from 1968, the theatre land area as a young lad. All I remember was my uncle say be careful that lady may educate more than your mum and dad would like. Never understood till a few years later on. I am from up North but my grandparents lived in High Wycombe, plus my uncles so days trip to London then. Don't remember the News reel theatre. Must have had my eyes closed after the ladies of the night. Thank you again for sharing it with us all. 👍👍🥂

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Ha ha 😉 Cheers Bob!

  • @tommcgrath2496
    @tommcgrath2496 2 года назад +9

    A treat for me when I was young was for my dad & I to make the short walk from our tenament to Vauxhall Station then get on the Usual Green-Liveried EMU to Waterloo & go to the Cinema to watch a few Cartoons & what ever other features were being shown. A bit of train watching then back home in reverse. Great days.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +2

      Thanks for sharing that Tom; a lovely, atmospheric memory 😊 Stay well.

  • @parttimespotter2027
    @parttimespotter2027 Год назад +3

    With my Nan living in Victoria/Pimlico area it was a treat as a young lad in the mid to late 70s to go to Victoria station and the cartoon cinema. The cartoons were brilliant and looped around so no matter when you went in if you stayed long enough you watched them over and over. I remember the cartoons, the sticky carpet, the dingy station area and the scuffed stairs to go in (far different then the days of it opening I expect). Probably my Mum or Nan hated it ... but I loved it. It was a wonderful simple life as a kid. A drink, some sweets and the amazing cartoons.
    I worked at Waterloo from 1986 and I vaguely remember the cinema area and the building over the taxi road but not very well.
    Great video and memories of a simpler and happier life

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  Год назад

      Love your comments Part Time Spotter, thanks for watching.

  • @waynedexter3446
    @waynedexter3446 2 года назад +5

    I remember the cinemas well! When I was a school boy, My Dad was a rail engineer and would do jobs at Victoria, Waterloo and other stations like St Pancras. I would often go with him in the school holidays and go to the cinemas while I was waiting for him. I thought it very grown-up and glamourous!

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Lovely memory Wayne, thanks for sharing!

  • @UKHeritageRailways
    @UKHeritageRailways 2 года назад +7

    I remember seeing the one at Victoria in the late 1950s. There was also a News Cinema at Baker Street station that showed Pathe News and cartoons, which I went to a few times in the 1960s.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +2

      Many thanks! Yes, I’d heard about the Baker Street cinema but don’t know too much about it… can you remember how far down it was? There is a cinema on Baker St; wondering if it’s the same one? Cheers

    • @chrismerridan101
      @chrismerridan101 2 года назад +3

      @@Robslondon The Cinema was at the right hand corner of the Station frontage situated in the Euston Rd .Madan Tussauds and The Planitarium wher on the other sid of the cab road.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      @@chrismerridan101 Interesting; thanks for this Chris.

  • @adventuresbytrainwales9558
    @adventuresbytrainwales9558 2 года назад +21

    Wow! Had heard of the cinemas but didn’t know how beautiful they looked! What a shame they are lost (besides the silhouette in the steps)! Another quality production! Thank you again for your awesome videos, myself and my grandparents (East End Londoners through and through! ) love your videos. Very fitting that the last was a Hitchcock film with Hitch being a Londoner from Leytonstone

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +4

      Thank you so much! Best wishes to you and your grandparents; really appreciate your support. Stay well 😊

  • @groovydonkey
    @groovydonkey 2 года назад +13

    Totally fascinating and never knew they existed and I have been through both stations many times. The architecture was amazing and a shame they no longer exist. I'm sure if they had, they would be of great interest, considering how sterile architecture and cinemas are now. An era that has now gone and sadly by most forgotten . Thanks for uploading this.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      It’s a pleasure; and many thanks for the kind words and interesting thoughts. Stay well.

  • @the_9ent
    @the_9ent 2 года назад +15

    This was amazing. Both looked so classy and stylish. Shame they disappeared. Art Deco was IMO the best design style to have ever existed.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +2

      Thanks; nice thoughts. Stay well.

  • @2H80vids
    @2H80vids 2 года назад +5

    I can vaguely remember being taken to the Victoria one around 1970. It was my first trip to London and, as a youngster of maybe 8yrs, this was one of the highlights for me. By then, it was a "Cartoon Theatre" and, a a treat, I was taken there in the late(ish) evening, on the way back to our nearby B+B. A constant feed of Looney Tunes was quite a thrill at the time; we had just got b+w tv at home but cartoons were a rare treat in those days and the tv would only show one at a time. Even as a bairn, I could appreciate that the cinama was a bit of a flea-pit but, armed with a Kia-ora and a wee pot of ice-cream sundae, I loved it, especially at about nine at night, in the wondrous lightshow of central London.
    I can easily associate many cliches with the experience but it's a lasting memory, a simple pleasure by today's standards but one I've often thought of in the sixty years since. Seems like a shame that today's kid will never have that "thrill" but .......... would they even want to?
    Thanks for this Rob, thoroughly enjoyed it and never knew there was another one at Waterloo.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Thank so much for sharing; those are beautiful, evocative memories. Stay well.

  • @petercurtis3984
    @petercurtis3984 2 года назад +4

    What a brilliant video about the cinema’s at Victoria and Waterloo, I recently watched the film containing the 1944 Waterloo station cinema, but I still remember going to the cinema at Victoria when it showed cartoons back in the 1960’s, such a shame they’ve both gone, even in today’s modern world I’m quite sure that they would attract a lot of interest. Thank you Rob for reviving some happy childhood memories, absolutely fabulous.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Thank you so much for sharing those wonderful memories, Peter- glad you enjoyed it! Thanks again and stay well.

  • @cyan1616
    @cyan1616 10 дней назад +1

    Makes me sad to lose these. That was one of my favorite eras of architecture. Good job!

  • @richardhunt8893
    @richardhunt8893 2 года назад +6

    Victoria News cinema was my local - by which I mean in walking distance - and I used to go regularly, about once a week or so in the early 1960s. Being about 8 years old, I found the Pathe Newsreels to be mostly boring. These typically showed some aviation development or disaster, a royal visit overseas, something or other from showbiz, rounded up with footage of a recent sporting event. The main items that held my attention were the cartoons and the weekly serial. These serials were about twenty minutes long and always ended on a cliffhanger and we were told to come back the following week if we wanted to know whether the hero survived. (Spoiler alert - he always did). One other interesting thing about the Victoria: it was where I saw my first live music gig. I don't remember their name, but they were a skiffle group and they did a spirited version of "Tom Dooley"

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      This is brilliant, thanks so much for sharing your memories Richard.

  • @PurpleTT99
    @PurpleTT99 2 года назад +13

    That bit of red painted render revealing the position of the steps was so evocative. A fantastic story behind such au unremarkable feature. Great vid Rob, very enjoyable. Subbed.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Thanks so much; really appreciate your kind words and support. Stay well :-)

  • @1minigrem
    @1minigrem 2 года назад +8

    I am so sad that those beautiful cinemas have gone. They were beautiful venues and would have done well today I think.
    Would you consider making a film about the cartoon cinemas in 60’s London, they showed Warner brothers cartoons and my parents took me there a lot. Thanks for another great film.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Thank you so much Kerry. I’ll look into as I don’t know enough about them at the moment! Good idea for a video though. Thanks again and stay well.

  • @jaslion7218
    @jaslion7218 2 года назад +2

    Wonderful stuff , great history thank you

  • @dylvasey
    @dylvasey 2 года назад +7

    Another great ad unexpected video! This channel is a hidden gem, although I don't know for how much longer!

  • @Petecope
    @Petecope 2 года назад +5

    Fantastic! I knew nothing (or nothing that's still in my memory) about these, despite claiming to have an encyclopedic knowledge of anything transport related. Well done for bringing these fascinating cinemas to a new audience.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +2

      It’s a pleasure Peter; many thanks for the kind words. Stay well.

  • @nightlurker
    @nightlurker 2 года назад +5

    I spent many a happy hour in the Waterloo cinema, when I was supposed to be in school. It was great in the winter as it was nice and warm with a ready supply of drinks and snacks.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      What a lovely memory; thanks for sharing 😊

    • @anthonypowell1457
      @anthonypowell1457 2 года назад +2

      When we bunked off school, or hopping the Charlie wag as we called it in the 1950's, we used to spend the afternoon in the Waterloo News Theatre. Our school was just a cross the road in Exton Street. St John's and all Saints...anybody remember it?

    • @nightlurker
      @nightlurker 2 года назад

      @@anthonypowell1457 Yeah, I'm sure there were more kids of school age than adults in there in the afternoons.😁

  • @bingbong7316
    @bingbong7316 2 года назад +1

    Yay! One of the treats of a London trip in the 1960s was the Cartoon Cinema at Victoria, part of childhood fondly remembered.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Nice memory :-) Thanks for sharing and stay well!

  • @lassepeterson2740
    @lassepeterson2740 Год назад +2

    This is the first time i've heard of this since the times as a kid i watched cartoons at Victoria Cinema .

  • @scottclarke9160
    @scottclarke9160 2 года назад +1

    Thank you for posting. I remember my mum taking me to the Victoria cinema during the early 70’s, very happy memories.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      You're very welcome Scott; thanks and stay well.

  • @Rog5446
    @Rog5446 2 года назад +3

    As a young lad, I spent many an hour or so at the Waterloo 'News Theatre' watching cartoons.
    TRIVIA: The fly on the wall film about Waterloo station 'Terminus' was directed by John Schlesinger, who went on to direct Hollywood films like Midnight Cowboy.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Cheers Rog, and yes- Schlesinger was a great director. Stay well.

  • @PinkyGoEasy
    @PinkyGoEasy 2 года назад +4

    On the Waterloo site they placed a moving advertising billboard which featured in an exciting scene in the film The Bourne Ultimatum. A sniper is up there and Jason Bourne is trying to stop him.
    Great information on this channel and I only subscribed 2 days ago.

  • @bryan3550
    @bryan3550 2 года назад +3

    Fantastic research Robert!
    I still remember seeing newsreels at the beginning of feature film screenings here in Australia in the '50's & 60's.
    Television only started here in 1956 with the Melbourne Olympic Games...
    Never knew London had station theatrettes!

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +2

      Thanks Bryan, lovely memories 😊

  • @Teesbrough
    @Teesbrough 2 года назад +3

    Very well researched. Hadn’t realised Victoria cinema was still in use when I moved to London so gutted I never went to see it.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Many thanks Will. Wish I could’ve seen it too 😕 Stay well.

  • @irishtino1595
    @irishtino1595 2 года назад +1

    Extraordinary examples of Art Deco, sad that they were scuppered. Thank you for the wonderful video.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      It's a pleasure Irish Tino, thanks for the kind words :-)

  • @raphaelandrews3617
    @raphaelandrews3617 2 года назад +1

    I always love the art deco cinema design both inside and out and always dressed up to go to see films. I like rolling programmes you could pay and stay as long as you wanted.

  • @kellyosborne7571
    @kellyosborne7571 2 года назад +3

    I absolutely love your videos. Only found you recently but I've devoured your channel. It's fascinating and oh so well produced. ❤

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +2

      Thanks so much Kelly; that means a lot to me 😊 Great to have you here; stay well.

  • @Iolis
    @Iolis 2 года назад +1

    I well remember the Victoria Cinema from 1960/1 when I lived with my parents in Army Married Quarters at the back of Wellington Barracks. When I got under their feet, they would give me a Shilling entrance fee and I would take the short ten minute walk to watch the cartoons and the newsreels. I remember the auditorium used to be full of smoke which made swirling patterns through the flickering projector and the smell of stale urine which used to permeate the place. It was a real flea-pit back then but you could sit there all day and watch the show as many times as you liked. Happy days.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      That's an incredible and very atmospheric memory. Thanks for sharing and stay well.

  • @butchknapman3939
    @butchknapman3939 2 года назад +2

    Another very interesting video. These two picture houses as i called them did not jump out in my memory, in the latter days of active life most of my traveling was done by car. All the local cinemas to me when i was a child are all but closed apart from one, the Odeon Streatham High Road. all my visits to the Odeon were good apart from one !! we were marched from school to go and see Laurence Olivier in Richard 111 not a good film for ten year old boys "Nightmare"

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      ha ha! Cheers Butch 😉

  • @PtolemyJones
    @PtolemyJones 2 года назад +1

    Very cool, lovely style too. I enjoy watching the old news videos on you tube these days.

  • @70mmgomp
    @70mmgomp 2 года назад +1

    Wonderful! I went to the Piccadilly Cartoon Cinema around 1969! Looking forward to more videos!

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Cheers Keith; much appreciated!

  • @alanpwhelan
    @alanpwhelan 8 месяцев назад +1

    I can remember going to the one at Victoria Station on several Sundays during the late 1970’s with my Dad. Cartoons and the Flash Gordon serial were shown regularly

  • @tw25rw
    @tw25rw 2 года назад +2

    I went to the Victoria cinema to watch cartoons in the 70s. I had thought of it as being near the tube station, but I was wrong.

  • @grantkelley6840
    @grantkelley6840 2 года назад +2

    Thanks. Rob. Really really interesting

  • @jatzbethstappen9814
    @jatzbethstappen9814 2 года назад +2

    Excellent work. Just, excellent.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Thank you so much Jatz. Your kind words mean a lot to me. Stay well.

  • @priscillamontoya
    @priscillamontoya 2 года назад +2

    I just discovered your channel and I LOVE it! So look forward to more.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +2

      Thank you so much Priscilla! Great to have you here! And thank you for the kind words :-) Stay well.

  • @stejaski2
    @stejaski2 4 месяца назад +1

    Thanks Rob for another fascinating video! It’s such a shame these beautiful art deco buildings were swept away. I vaguely remember the Victoria one, and my father took me to the Piccadilly one, what was then showing cartoons.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  4 месяца назад

      Lovely comment Stejaski, thank you!

  • @robbojax2025
    @robbojax2025 2 года назад +2

    Nice piece of nostalgia. I saw The Glen Miller Story at Waterloo.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Thanks! Glad to bring some memories back 😉

  • @ianprince1698
    @ianprince1698 2 года назад +1

    as a child of the 60s i remember the news theatres also ran cartoons which were a highlight of my visit.to London

  • @angierucinski5694
    @angierucinski5694 2 года назад +2

    That was fascinating, I never knew these cinemas even existed! What a sad loss of the superb Art Deco architecture.

  • @fightersweep
    @fightersweep Год назад +2

    Got taken to the "Cartoon" theatre at Victoria several times by my Dad during the 70s for bumper sessions of Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, Daffy Duck etc. Still remember it clearly. Often wondered what happened to it. Shame both cinemas didn't survive as they would more than likely be treasured now just for the architectural design alone.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  Год назад

      Yes, it’s tragic isn’t it 😒 Lovely memories though, thanks for sharing

    • @iaindcosta
      @iaindcosta 10 месяцев назад

      ..same here, my dad used me as an excuse to see cartoons I think

  • @Rachel-bo3qg
    @Rachel-bo3qg 2 года назад +3

    Another well put together and informative video, love it !

  • @ellahorses5436
    @ellahorses5436 2 года назад +1

    Fantastic !!!

  • @SidBonkers51
    @SidBonkers51 2 года назад +1

    As a young teenager i can remember getting a train from Bromley south to Victoria to watch cartoons at the News Theatre there. This would have been the early 60's I guess and I seem to remember it being a little run down, but it was a long time ago and I could be wrong about that.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Nice comment Sid, thanks for sharing.

  • @carolinesexplosion
    @carolinesexplosion Месяц назад +1

    What a wonderful video! Thank you! I come from Hornsey in North London and use to go to the Saturday morning cinema at The Odeon Muswell Hill N10, still survives and is a magnificent piece of architecture. As I got older I’d go to the cinema with my friends to that odeon, but also the ABC Cinema in Turnpike Lane N22 which no longer exists. There was also another ABC at the top of Muswell Hill, but sadly I don’t remember that architecture.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  Месяц назад

      Brilliant comment, thank you!

  • @elizabethspedding1975
    @elizabethspedding1975 2 года назад +1

    Great video, so many memories.❤️

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Thank you Elizabeth 😊

  • @BigJoeChrisLewis
    @BigJoeChrisLewis 2 года назад +3

    I have a very, very dim memory of the Victoria cinema from the mid-1960s, when I would have been around six years old. We would have been on the long journey from North Wales to Switzerland by train and ferry and I guess we would have gone in there before catching the boat train to Folkestone. Can't remember what we saw, though it could have been some sort of newsreel. I think I was mildly surprised even at that age that a station would have a cinema in it; there was certainly nothing like that at Bangor or Holyhead...

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Great memory to have Chris; thanks so much for sharing. Stay well.

  • @louisegalczynski1543
    @louisegalczynski1543 2 года назад +2

    The amount of times I’ve been to Waterloo and I never knew about this at all. What beautiful Art Deco buildings - thanks for a very informative and interesting video as always ❤️

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +3

      Thanks so much Louise; really appreciate your kind words. Stay well.

  • @jamesjohnmoss8130
    @jamesjohnmoss8130 2 года назад +1

    Super video, brings back a lot of memories, very well produced, thank you.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Thank so much James, that means a lot to me. Stay well.

  • @terencehewett5167
    @terencehewett5167 Год назад +1

    Went to the Waterloo NT a lot in the 1950s: fond memories.

  • @allangibson4354
    @allangibson4354 2 года назад +1

    What a fascinating and enthralling presentation. I never knew these wonderful cinemas existed. Many thanks for posting.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      It’s a pleasure Allan, and thank you for the kind words! Stay well.

  • @Corrus
    @Corrus 2 года назад +1

    I had no idea these existed. Another fascinating video, Cheers Rob!

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      You’re more than welcome Paul 😊 Thank you so much for watching; stay well.

  • @brianbell4937
    @brianbell4937 2 года назад +1

    Fantastic video, I remember now seeing both of these (Waterloo only after closure), but had totally forgotten them.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Many thanks for the kind words Brian. Stay well

  • @pongnose
    @pongnose 2 года назад +1

    I have fond memories of my dad taking me to the Saturday cartoon matinees at Victoria.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Lovely memory, Pando :-) Stay well.

  • @johnsharp8632
    @johnsharp8632 Год назад +1

    Thanks for this very interesting video Rob. I remember visiting The Waterloo news cinema in the 1960s just for the experience. A friend and myself had gone to Waterloo to do a bit of engine spotting during the last days of steam. As well as the news I do remember watching a few cartoons. I was not aware of that there was similar cinema at Charing Cross. All part of London's vanished history.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  Год назад

      What a lovely comment and memories John, thanks so much for sharing.

  • @richardsingh5827
    @richardsingh5827 2 года назад +2

    I like the Pearl and Dean intro, and an interesting video

  • @damedavidfrith55
    @damedavidfrith55 2 года назад +1

    Thanks for another cracking vlog very interesting

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      A pleasure David; thank you.

  • @Duranie9
    @Duranie9 2 года назад +1

    Just found your channel and subscribed. I love all things railway related and art deco cinemas too. I really enjoyed this video and learned something I that I had not known about to boot. Many thanks. 🙂

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      It's a pleasure; thank you so much for your support!

  • @angelsone-five7912
    @angelsone-five7912 2 года назад +1

    Thank you for this. I knew about these 2 cinemas but never actually saw them and always wanted to know more about them. So much history and heritage lost never to be seen again.

  • @spleeeen4it
    @spleeeen4it 2 года назад +1

    great video, really enjoyed it, thanks

  • @thetragicyouth
    @thetragicyouth 2 года назад +1

    I never knew about these - what a fascinating little film!

  • @amigacooke
    @amigacooke 2 года назад

    I used to pester my parents as we went through Victoria in the late 60s, early 70s to see the cartoons.
    Before video cassettes arrived, it was the only to see carttons, on demand, that I can remember.
    My memory is they normally gave way, bless them.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Great comment and memories, thanks for sharing😊

  • @johnbacon1854
    @johnbacon1854 2 года назад +1

    You were so spot on with your comments on a new lease of life, had they still been in situ. Its amazing to think how Cinema changed between the 50s and 2000s. In my old home town of Southend, there was 7 or 8 Cinemas all within a couple of minutes of each other in the heyday. Its now down to just 1 multi screen, but that only came about after there was a decline for cinemas in the late 80s and throught the 90s. Maybe because of DVD and Blue RAY and things like SKY and Virgin becoming more and more popular to have at home.
    Its great to see the Cinema come back though. I love film, and as much as I do watch a lot at home, there are certain films you simply have to see on the big screen with great sound.
    All the best to you.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Great comment John. I’m very fond of Southend, would often go there when I was a kid. Had no idea it had that many cinemas at one time though; incredible! Thanks again and stay well.

    • @johnbacon1854
      @johnbacon1854 2 года назад +1

      @@Robslondon oh wow. You don't sound that old on your narration.... I would love to meet you for a pint or two and chat about the history of Southend and London one day.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      @@johnbacon1854 Ha ha! Thanks John… I’m only in my 40s 😉 A pint someday would suit me! Cheers and stay well.

  • @watchvideosoul
    @watchvideosoul Месяц назад +1

    Brilliantly researched and presented!

  • @lukegreen5341
    @lukegreen5341 2 года назад +2

    I've Didn't Know London Victoria And Waterloo Train Stations Did Have Cinemas. Now That's Awesome. Thanks Mate. X

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      It’s a pleasure Luke 😉 Thanks and stay well

  • @srfurley
    @srfurley 2 года назад +2

    Last year I was at Leeds station. Walking along the ‘30s North Concourse re-opened a few years ago towards the exit onto Aire Street at the far end there is a large uplighter which looks like it might be at home on the London Underground. Near this, on the right hand side there is a stone set into the ground bearing the words ‘News Theatre’; I didn’t know there had been one there. I think the auditorium may have been within the hotel building. I’m told that one also existed at Grand Central Terminal in New York.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Thanks Stephen. Yes, when I was researching this I heard there was a cinema at Leeds station but couldn’t confirm it. It may have been the only one outside London, but don’t quote me on that! I believe they wanted to build ones in Manchester and Glasgow too, but they never went ahead. Thanks and stay well.

    • @srfurley
      @srfurley 2 года назад +1

      @@Robslondon
      I have a photograph of the Leeds sign, but I can’t see any way to attach it here.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      @@srfurley No worries Stephen, it’s a good excuse for me to get up to Yorkshire 😉 Stay well

  • @michaelmiller641
    @michaelmiller641 2 года назад +1

    I'm old enough to have visited the news theatre at Victoria, when it was a news theatre! Very interesting, Rob, by the way!

  • @SlurpyDave254
    @SlurpyDave254 2 года назад +1

    Wow that railway arch theatre is amazing, 👍 great vid

  • @dougknight1720
    @dougknight1720 2 года назад +1

    Thanks Rob. No idea they existed. Very interesting.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Many thanks Doug. Stay well.

  • @AnnabelSmyth
    @AnnabelSmyth 2 года назад +1

    I'm almost sure I was taken to the news theatre at Victoria when I was a very small girl. I know my father liked to go there while waiting for his train to Sussex. Mind you, I saw a fair few newsreels when I was young - they were a great feature of cinemas back in the day, when not everybody had a television.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Lovely comment Annabel, thanks for sharing your memories. Stay well.

  • @Oscartherescuedog
    @Oscartherescuedog 2 года назад +2

    Just came across your channel this evening - subscribed and binge watching! Your videos are amazing!

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Thank you so much Sean, that means a lot to me. It's great to have you here ;-) Stay well mate.

    • @thewrecker3140
      @thewrecker3140 2 года назад +1

      Top man Sean.

  • @jean-pierresharp8050
    @jean-pierresharp8050 2 года назад +1

    Teriffic video Rob. Very informative; I had no idea Victoria and Waterloo stations had cinemas in the past. As you mention in the video, strikingly stylish Art Deco architecture and yes, it is a pity they weren't kept and re-purposed.

  • @fp30e
    @fp30e 2 года назад +1

    Hi Robslondon, I remember seeing one of these cinemas, but not sure which one, but sadly I never went inside. Excellent video. Thank you.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Lovely comment, thank you 😊

  • @davidflett2723
    @davidflett2723 2 года назад +1

    I recall being taken to the Waterloo cinema to see cartoons when I was little.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Nice memory David, thanks for sharing 😊

  • @hcs8789
    @hcs8789 Год назад +1

    Thank you so much for this video! I'm currently doing some research on Waterloo News Theatre and this has been really helpful. Lots of great photos. Would have been very cool to see these places whilst they still stood.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  Год назад +1

      It’s a pleasure! Thanks for watching and hope your research goes well

  • @douglasthompson296
    @douglasthompson296 Год назад +1

    Hi Rob, just catching up on your content. What fascinating buildings and a shame they have gone. It was great to see in the war period the YMCA had tea bars in there. All credit too for the brave firefighters who helped save St Paul's Cathedral. I think it was featured in a recent TV documentary about British air aids in WW2. I'm going to catch up on your London pubs series next. Cheers DougT in Mancs

  • @aethellstan
    @aethellstan 2 года назад +1

    i lived very near waterloo and can remember the cinema and going to it in the late sixties. there was also a booth on the concourse where you could talk etc into a microphone and make a recording which would be imprinted on one of those flimsy plastic records which would play at 45rpm.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Brilliant memory, thanks for sharing.

  • @kathryn59Gar
    @kathryn59Gar 2 года назад +1

    Hello as a small child in the late 50’s my dad use to take me on a train from battersea to Waterloo station and go to
    The Waterloo cinema, I remember seeing some of the John Wayne B movies and I’m still a big fan of John Wayne movies
    It is good but sad to know what happened to the cinema, as I got older I went with friends to the Granada in battersea for Saturday morning pictures,sadly that is no longer a cinema, we moved out of London in the late 60’s

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Thank so much for sharing your lovely memories Kathryn; much appreciated. Stay well.

  • @londonbackpacker
    @londonbackpacker 2 года назад +1

    Victoria was my local cinema as a kid, it was a weekly treat, in the mid to late 60s. We were dropped of there while our parents did the weekly shop in Warwick way. The news reels were pretty boring to a kid but the serials and cartoons were great. Was my first experience of cinema. Great to see images of the old building.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Thansk for sharing your memories :-) Stay well.

  • @tremonro6358
    @tremonro6358 2 года назад +1

    I used to go to the Waterloo station cinema when I was a Young boy,it cost sixpence to go in on a Saturday morning that was in the early 1960s.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Nice memory! Thanks for sharing :-)

  • @JTonson
    @JTonson 2 года назад

    Well done, this is absolutely fascinating. My father used to take me to all three of these cinemas and I loved them because I could watch cartoons non-stop, apart from some clips of an orchestra from one of the big studios - probably MGM - playing pieces of classical music. I couldn't wait for the music to stop so that we could get back to the cartoons!

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Thank you Robert; lovely comment and memories!

  • @jlg375
    @jlg375 2 года назад +1

    Really interesting. I have watched a few of your videos. I spend time in London, and now can look with different eyes.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Thanks so much; that means a lot to me :-)

  • @perrydebell1352
    @perrydebell1352 2 года назад +1

    There was a small cinema at Baker Street station that showed cartoons & newsreels over a one hour cycle. It was not necessary to leave the station to enter the cinema & many were the times when as a student at Harrow Technical College between 1959-61, I would used my season ticket to enter Northwick Park station & travel to Baker Street, watch the show & travel back to college in time for the next lecture. It cost one shilling, but the train journey was illicit as my season ticket did not cover the trip into London. Callow youth that I was! 😌😝😜🤪

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Thanks Perry; what wonderful memories- appreciate you sharing them… and I was born at Northwick Park 😉 Stay well.

  • @colinloc
    @colinloc 2 года назад +1

    Thanks Rob - another interesting and informative video. I remember the Victoria cartoon cinema but sadly never visited it. I was just a lad when it closed.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Thanks Colin, stay well.

  • @bobuk5722
    @bobuk5722 Год назад +1

    Hi, I went to one of these two, I can't remember which it was now - it was almost 50 years ago I think. However, the film I do remember. One of the very few X rated cartoon films - Fritz the cat. The name says it all!

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  Год назад

      Ha ha! Cheers Bob, what a great memory to have 😉

  • @DaboooogA
    @DaboooogA 2 года назад +2

    Great video thanks

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      It’s a pleasure; thank you

  • @johnmurray8428
    @johnmurray8428 2 года назад +4

    I remember going to my grandparents in Earlesfield and getting on the train at platform 1 or 2. The cinema was on the left as you went through the gate.
    For sometime in the 1950s there was a large model of a ship as part of an advertisement for Union Castle shipping line.

  • @CthulhuInc
    @CthulhuInc 11 месяцев назад +2

    the only time i visited the victoria station cinema was in 1972, during the last night of my family's holiday in the UK - i believe they ran some cartoons, and laurel and hardy shorts

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  11 месяцев назад +1

      Nice comment, thank you. Cartoons followed by Laurel and Hardy sounds like the perfect bill 😉

  • @RichardWells1
    @RichardWells1 2 года назад +1

    A fascinating cinematographic journey back in time, Rob, with some great research and archive footage. You're right, these cinemas were no match for television, but it's pleasing to see Waterloo cinema's 'spiritual successor'. I spent my childhood down the line from Waterloo and clearly remember in the late 1950s asking my parents if we could go to the station's cinema to watch the cartoons; we didn't have TV. I was rewarded one day on our way home from London! I'm sure we can't have stayed longer than half an hour, as we had a train to catch! It was a memorable experience nonetheless, although I was probably too excited about seeing cartoon films than appreciating the Art Deco styling!

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +2

      Thanks for sharing your wonderful memories Richard 😊 And thank you too for the kind words. Stay well sir.

  • @christopherbutler7588
    @christopherbutler7588 2 года назад +1

    Thank you so interesting did not know they had they at stations.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Thank you Christopher. Stay well.

  • @michaelstimpson6510
    @michaelstimpson6510 2 года назад +1

    I used to go to the one at Baker Street every Saturday for years in the late 50s and early 60s

  • @chrisamies2141
    @chrisamies2141 2 года назад +2

    I remember seeing the Waterloo one - and remembered correctly where it was - but as I suspected it was no longer in operation by this time (late 70s / early 80s). Surprised that the Victoria cinema persisted for so much longer.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Thanks Chris. Yes it’s amazing in hindsight how much longer Victoria’s kept going. Cheers and stay well.

  • @julianaylor4351
    @julianaylor4351 2 года назад +1

    Pearl and Dean adverts. ❤️
    I remember the tiny cinema at Piccadilly Circus that showed the same sort of program, as the two cinemas your talking about, until the seventies. I always wanted to go into it, during the sixties when I was a kid, but even by then it probably wasn't a good place to go, because my parents wouldn't let me.

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Thanks Julia, lovely comment ;-)

  • @davidfrancis6491
    @davidfrancis6491 2 года назад +1

    I remember going to the victoria one in the 70s it was showing cartoons and 1930s flash gordon series i loved that place

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Cheers David; what a fantastic memory to have 😊

  • @Schlipperschlopper
    @Schlipperschlopper 2 года назад +2

    I just love original Artdeco and Bauhaus & Lecorbusier style buildings!

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      Same here ;-)

    • @Schlipperschlopper
      @Schlipperschlopper 2 года назад +1

      @@Robslondon Some music from these buildings grand epoque: ruclips.net/video/i8xcX3mMAFo/видео.html

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      @@Schlipperschlopper This is glorious 😍 Thanks so much for sharing.

    • @Schlipperschlopper
      @Schlipperschlopper 2 года назад +1

      @@Robslondon I love watching pictures of 1930s buildings and listen to this old music ruclips.net/video/_OHPwxyiQt0/видео.html

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад +1

      @@Schlipperschlopper You have excellent taste! I’ve subscribed to your channel; some wonderful stuff there. Stay well.

  • @ivanrainbird2416
    @ivanrainbird2416 2 года назад +1

    i new nothing about this thank you i found it very interesting

  • @brhodes0
    @brhodes0 2 года назад +1

    Really glad to have stumbled onto your channel ...great content and presentation 👍🏻👍🏻. Have you done anything on Arnos Grove station?

    • @Robslondon
      @Robslondon  2 года назад

      Cheers Brian; much appreciated. I've not covered Arnos Grove although it's a beautiful station and a great subject; will think about it for a future episode ;-) Thanks again and stay well.