LIDO, Rialto, Queens and Odeon are all names that will bring back memories of the cinemas in Bolton.

The silver screen was first brought to Bolton by Mr Fenton Cross at the end of the 19th century, showing “living pictures” at the Temperance Hall, later the Rialto Cinema, on St George’s Road.

Most of Bolton’s cinemas began in former chapels, Sunday Schools, or even skating rinks.

The first full length “talkie” was shown at the Palladium in Higher Bridge Street in 1929. By the late 1930’s there were 22 cinemas in Bolton itself, not counting those in nearby towns.

They included the Palace and Empire at Westhoughton; the Empire, Palace, Savoy and ABC at Farnworth; the Picture Palace and Picture House at Horwich.

Thousands of people would queue each week to see their favourite stars in films such as Gone With The Wind, From Here to Eternity, Jaws, starring Robert Shaw from Westhoughton, Star Wars and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.

Popular local film actress Shirley Anne Field, who went to Crowthorn School in Edgworth, starred in many films in the 1960’s including Peeping Tom, The Entertainer and Saturday Night Sunday Morning.

She then went on to have a successful career in television. In 1998 she shared the stage at the opening of the Warner Village cinema at Middlebrook with Dame Edna Everage and Rik Mayall.

Talking to the Bolton Evening News at the time she said "It gives me great pleasure to be here. I used to go to the Bolton Odeon cinema when I was a girl and that’s where I dreamt of being in films.”

The size of these entertainment palaces is shown by the fact that the Regal, which later became the Astor, in Spa Road could seat more than 2,000 people, the Odeon 2,534, the Capitol 1,632.

But the increasing popularity of television took its toll on the town’s cinemas.

The Astor became the Navada skating rink, which was destroyed by a fire in 1985, and the Palladium on Higher Bridge Street, a wrestling stadium.

One by one they closed, until the Lido — which was later renamed as the ABC — closed its doors in 1998.

Now Bolton is only served by two out-of-town multiplex cinemas, the Vue at Middlebrook and Cineworld in The Valley at Astley Bridge.