Proposed Alterations, Magnet Cinema, Weaver Street, Winsford, Cheshire
Reference Lancashire Daily Post 8 March 1930 page 6
Designs for proposed alterations to the cinema were prepared by Albert Winstanley but the scheme was not progressed. Winstanley subsequently took legal action in respect of his fees.
The Magnet Cinema was built and opened in the 1910’s. (opened 1919?) By the mid-1920’s it was operated by Pendleton’s Pictures. It was equipped with a Western Electric (WE) sound system in 1930, and was taken over by Sandbach Cinemas Ltd. In the 1940’s it advertised the Magnet café, which was located beside the cinema. In 1960 it was taken over by the Miles Jervis chain and was re-named Ritz Cinema. The proscenium was 33 feet wide for the CinemaScope screen. The Ritz Cinema was closed on 8th April 1961, and it went into other uses.
BREECH OF AGREEMENT BY CINEMA PRPORIETORS - At Manchester Assizes today Mr Albert Winstanley, architect, of Kingswear, Orchard Road, St Anne’s was awarded £125 and costs in an action for breach of agreement brought by him against Richard Smith and John Beech, of Sandbach Cheshire, kinema proprietors. For the plaintiff it was stated that, at the request of the defendants he prepared plans for alteration to the Magnet Cinema, Winsford of which they were the proprietors. The alterations were not proceeded with, and at a meeting which took place between the parties the defendants complained that the charges were heavy and offered £25,. The plaintiff refused to accept this amount, but agreed to give a receipt in full settlement on consideration that they would employ him as architect on a new cinema which they proposed to erect at Sandbach. Later he leaned that another architect had been engaged for that work. The defendants claimed that the receipt had been made without condition. They had not mentioned the Sandbach cinema and promised only that they would employ him as architect if they proceeded with alterations to the Winsford Cinema. [Lancashire Daily Post 8 March 1930 page 6]