Ryhope children are 'fittingly' the first to experience Beamish Museum's recreated The Grand Cinema

Ryhope school children had the honour of being the first visitors to experience the recreated Grand Cinema at Beamish Museum and even got to see their own short films on the big screen.

The cinema was located on St Paul’s Terrace, just two streets down from St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School and so it was only fitting that the children were the first to experience the replica which would have been regularly attended by their grandparents and great grandparents.

The cinema, which will be part of the museum’s 1950s town, has not yet officially opened to the public but Beamish staff had been working with the school to arrange a “special trip” for the children to experience what it would have been like to go to a traditional picture house.

The Museum even arranged and paid for the children’s transport and pupils dressed for the occasion in the 1950s attire their grandparents and great grandparents may have worn when going to see the latest Hollywood release or daily newsreel.

Key Stage 2 (Year 3-6) children enjoyed activities which were focused on the cinema which was part of their village for over 100 years.

Year 3 pupils made advertisement slides, which were then shown on the Grand screen during their visit, while Years 4 and 5 children created posters which will be placed on the billboards outside the cinema

Years 5 and 6 pupils even got the chance to create their own short films, which were shown on the big screen during their visit.

One of those taking part was Year 6 pupil Holly Hargrave, 11, who said: “The Grand was exquisite and I felt really proud of my class when we appeared on the screen in front of everyone.”

The Grand was a working cinema from its opening in 1913 and was hugely popular in Ryhope during its heyday in the 1950s, regularly selling out all its seats.

A sharp decline in cinema visits in the 1960s, due largely to the popularity and availability of television sets, meant that the cinema ceased trading and became a bingo hall.

St Patrick’s executive headteacher Jane Ward said: “We are so excited to be involved with this very special Beamish project.

“Our children are so very proud of the history and heritage of Ryhope and to see 'The Grand' restored to its former glory was absolutely wonderful.”

In 2019 the cinema building was donated to Beamish Museum by owners Angela and Gary Hepple and in 2020 it was dismantled, with re-usable parts and features now incorporated into The 1950s Town cinema.

The Museum’s re-creation of The Grand is set to include options for visitors of feature length films at set times as well as showing archive footage, shorts and period news during the day.

There will also be “occasional evening screenings” of 1950s classic films. Visitors will be able to take a look behind the scenes at the projection room and learn about the skilled role of the projectionist.

Ahead of the cinema’s official opening later this year (2024) local businesses and individuals are being offered the chance to sponsor one of the seats in the auditorium.

St Patrick’s is part of the Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust.