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Then and Now: The Corona, West Gorton

THEN: The Corona in West Gorton

The birth of a multiplex cinema complex just a stone throw away, saw the demise of the Corona - named after the Italian word for crown - and many others, despite their equally exotic names.

The Corona cinema, pictured, on Birch Street, West Gorton, went the same way as the nearby Savoy, Rivoli, Olympia, Arcadia, Palace, and Regal, an absence that seemed to also drain the life out of the community.

In the days when there were number of cinemas to go to, it wasn't unusual for people to see up to five films a day when they wanted to.

NOW: Nothing remains of the Corona

Later, many of the houses in the area were demolished, fragmenting the community further as long-standing neighbours moved out to other areas.

The archive photograph is part of a collection chronicling the changing face of Manchester during the past 250 years on a computer at Manchester Central Library.

What are your memories of the Corona, or any other cinemas which have since closed down?

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