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The Northampton East Park Picturedrome was built by Mr. Robinson, a local Stone Mason, on the corner of Kettering Road and Abington Avenue. It took a year to build and was something of a surprise to his friends when he announced that he was going to build a Cinema in his back yard.

The Picturedrome seated 500 people, and, when it opened on November the 12th 1912, it was attended by 400 guests who were ushered into the new Cinema by attendants in gold braided uniforms to watch a single reel silent movie which was accompanied by an orchestra, conducted by the violin playing musical director, Charles Tysoe, who was renowned for his musical skills with silent movies, and who also provided sound effects such as horses hooves and rain by using coconuts and a barrel of peas. Charles Tysoe stayed at the Picturedrome until the Talkies became prominent, after which he became a music teacher.

Right - An usher standing in front of the Northampton Picturedrome during the run of 'Making A Man' with Jack Holt, which was released in 1922 - Courtesy Alan Ashton, former projectionist at the Savoy Cinema, and whose late mother took the photograph with a Kodak 'bellows' camera.

The Picturedrome was quite a success and when Mr. Robinson died his son Edgar took over the running of the Cinema until it was sold in 1935 to Mr. H. D. Pascoe. In 1953 it is said that the Picturedrome was the first Cinema in the Country to install a panoramic wide screen and to feature the then experimental Metroscopix film system.

In the 1940s the Chief Projectionist at the Picturedrome was Bernard Burgess who later went on to work at the New Theatre as a Stage Hand where he was eventually to meet the popular Irish singer Ruby Murray when she appeared there, they fell in love and were eventually married. Bernard was a member of the Northampton Cinema & Theatre Cricket team who played regular 'friendly' matches with staff from many of the local cinemas.

The Picturedrome closed in 1958 and was sold off but was to reopen as a Cinema 40 years later in 1998, and although it is now no longer in use as a Cinema the building still exists and in 2009 is in use as a restaurant.

I am very grateful to Alan Ashton, projectionist at the Savoy Cinema in the 1950s, for kindly sending in the above information and images for the Picturedrome and New Theatre.