Durham Road, Co-operative Hall

The meeting hall of the Co-operative Store, above the shops, was Birtley's first cinema, opened in September 1910 and seating 800 people. By October of the same year the competition of the Theatre Royal and the Birtley Hall cinemas caused the Co-operative hall to close. There was a fire at the Theatre Royal in 1912 and the owner hired the Co-operative hall while his theatre was rebuilt. The 'Store Hall' then continued to be run as a cinema by the Co-op until 1930. Then it was leased to L.S. Makepeace. It had two entrances, one for the stalls and one for the better seats. The cineam finally closed in December 1940.