I don't remember the first film I saw at Woolton Picture House, but I won't forget the last.
There was nothing particularly memorable about the mediocre 2019 remake of The Lion King. But when I left the screening with my family, I didn't think that I wouldn't enter the building again for years.
The Mason Street cinema has always been a big part of my life, with frequent visits as a child inspiring a love of film. Harking back to a bygone era of silver screen glamour, its single screen, half-time interval and plush red seats give it character not seen in a multiplex.
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It is now four years since I last saw a film at Woolton Picture House. As I stood outside the cinema on Thursday (June 29), its doors remained firmly shut and a bush was visibly growing from the roof.
It has been closed since the coronavirus pandemic. Faded posters for Peter Rabbit 2, a film initially set for release in March 2020, remain next to the front doors.
A half-finished paint job adorns the exterior. The recognisable deep red now shares space with an unfinished grey undercoat. It all gives the appearance of a cinema which will not open any time soon.
However, Woolton Picture House's owner has made pledges on Facebook about reopening since the pandemic. Buoyed by a GoFundMe campaign which raised around £24,000 and government money from the Culture Recovery Fund, it has been supported with around £50,000 to reopen.
None of its pledges about opening again have been kept, punctuated by long periods of silence. As the ECHO has looked for answers and clarification, Woolton Picture House has not responded to our requests for comment.
Emails are met with an automated reply of: "Thank you for your email and for thinking of Woolton Picture House.
"Woolton Picture House is currently closed and unable to provide a re-opening date at present. As a result is not able to accepting any box office bookings or Venue Hires at this time.
"We will keep all our valued customers (such as yourself) updated on when we will be re-opening and dates Venue Hires will be available to be booked from, via our website and Facebook page, as early as possible.
"We apologies for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming you back to Woolton Picture House soon."
'Please can we have some answers?'
Reopening has become a saga that shows no sign of ending.
Most recently, the cinema posted on Facebook in October 2022 to share its latest reopening plans.
This statement set a target of this spring to reopen, subject to the stability of the financial climate. It also pledged to offer monthly updates about the reopening process.
That has not happened. The cinema remains closed. There have been no updates since.
People continue to contact the ECHO asking if there are any updates about the cinema. It is a building cherished by many, it is viewed by many as the heart of Woolton Village and there is a clear appetite for it to reopen.
Many donated to the GoFundMe, which raised around £50,000. They want to see what their money is being used for.
When the ECHO was in Woolton this week, those who live near the cinema spoke about their concern.
Robyn McKeown, who bought her house because it neighbours Woolton Picture House, told the ECHO: "It's just so sad to see it still closed and in this state. There's the growth out of the roof.
"All it has become now is a place for kids to gather. I'm dreading the summer holidays.
"Please can we have some answers about opening."
Likewise, another person who lives in the area, said: "It's very sad and very annoying. It's the heart of Woolton Village.
"People came into Woolton for it, it was so homely. I hope that someone can do something with it, but where has all that money gone?
"There's the growth in the roof and some of it has fallen away, the brickwork needs work. It's awful to see."
The story so far
Woolton Picture House announced that it would close for good in July 2020, having suffered a loss of business due to the pandemic. However, it was saved from permanent closure during lockdown by the GoFundMe campaign and the government's culture recovery fund, which was designed to support culture venues through a period where they could not open their doors.
Around £24,000 was raised by the crowd-funder, while the cinema was awarded £37,809 by the culture recovery fund during the pandemic, which was administered by the British Film Institute (BFI). The cinema said it collected £25,625 of the awarded funds.
Supported by almost £50,000 in external funding, the cinema took to Facebook in 2021 to state its intention to reopen in 2022. That did not happen.
Instead, ten months of silence followed. The ECHO made many attempts to contact the cinema to no avail.
With people left in the dark about the cinema's reopening and no public update offered on its social media, we sought answers from the BFI instead.
It told the ECHO in September 2022 that it "received confirmation that the cinema plans to reopen". Shortly after the ECHO reported that, the cinema broke its social media silence.
A Facebook post on September 28, 2022, stated its intention to reopen but did not provide a date. On October 4, a further statement confirmed it would not reopen in 2022 and set a target of Spring 2023, subject to the economic climate.
It also detailed plans to turn the building on Mason Street into "a cultural venue", with a second, smaller cinema screen, a stage and a function suite. In the post from October 4, Woolton Picture House's owners also promised regular updates on the Facebook page, saying: "Moving forward on a monthly basis, we will update you on our journey".
Despite that pledge, there have been no updates since.
There was hope when, in March of this year, the BFI reiterated it was in communication with the owner of the picture house about reopening plans. However, the cinema remains closed and remains silent.
It has, again, not replied to the ECHO's requests for comment, which have asked why there have been no public updates since a pledge to provide them on a monthly basis.
The best part of nine months have passed since the public heard from the cinema. It is another concerning and extended period of silence.
'Left to rot'
Due to Liverpool City Council boundary changes, the cinema is no longer technically in Councillor Kris Brown's ward. However, it was for years and people continue to contact the councillor for Gateacre and Woolton in hope of positive news.
He told the ECHO this week: “Like so many other people I am disappointed that communication appears to have completely ceased from the Woolton Picture House.
“So many people tell me they’re now giving up hope that the picture house will reopen at all. After a couple of years of trying to engage with the owners, I’m running out of hope too. There’s simply been no willingness to engage.
“To all those who donated to the crowdfunder, you have every right to be angry and upset. Lifeline after lifeline has been thrown at this in the hope it will reopen. Promise after promise has been made but with no real substance.
“If anyone can come up with any realistic ideas on how to move forward, I’m all ears. For now, this historic venue is being left to rot.”
Woolton Picture House first opened in 1927. It calls itself the "oldest surviving cinema in Liverpool" - work needs to be done in order for that to remain the case.
Personally, I want to return to the cinema's red seats. I do not want The Lion King remake to be the last film I saw there.
People who care about it deserve answers. Trying to find those answers has not been easy.
Woolton Picture House was contacted for comment about its reopening plans for this article.
