The 1980s were a difficult decade for British cinemas, with many finally falling victim to the ongoing competition from television and the recent arrival of home video players.
Forty years ago, sadly, it was time for the last picture show at yet another one-time favourite cinema, the Wallaw in Ashington. The picture hall was one of a string with the same name that had sprung up in South East Northumberland in the early decades of the last century.
Named after owner Walter Lawson (by combining his first and last names) there were popular Wallaw cinemas in Blyth, Newbiggin, Bedlington and here in Ashington. This one could trace its roots back to 1912 when it could seat 450 patrons who flocked there to watch the new silent movies.
