Tales of the Urban Explorer: Moston Cinema

“A cinema you say, and it’s open?”

@anidiotexplores, my eyes, and ears of the Manchester underground was telling me an interesting tale of an archetype I had constantly failed on.

Should it be named so? 'Genre' doesn't quite fit what I am trying to get across.

Having failed at Astoria Bingo, Bacup Bingo Hall, Preston Odeon, Manchester Victoria Theatre, and Burnley Odean amongst others my record of exploring old cinemas, theatres, 18th-century gambling venues and whorehouses was nothing short of abysmal.

I hastily added Moston Cinema to our largish rota for the day and we commenced yet another massive explore session.

If it wasn’t for all the damn Karen’s walking around we would have been inside the grounds a lot quicker. Biding our time and looking extremely suspicious we hung around waiting for a chance to climb the wall between us and derelict cinema deliciousness.

For once, it wasn’t so difficult, and carefully bypassing some rusty barbed wire on the wall top we were inside the grounds and out of view.

What has happened here in the past is a mystery but there may have been an accident involving some sticks of dynamite as there were two massive holes in the outer wall.

Not complaining we were in, but what the fuck was this?

Isn’t this supposed to be a cinema, where’s the screen, where the seats, and most importantly... I see no popcorn?

I was talking out loud to @anidiotexplores who was also staring around at the unexpected sight.

Gone were the velvety seats we were expecting replaced by fresh.., er no stank air.. and what looked like chicken coops at the top.

What had we stumbled on this time, a few thousand dead chickens left to starve? I was hoping not and as that stink was no stench of rotting animals.

We made our way up from where the old screen should have been, now replaced by a huge hole in the wall to investigate these ‘coops’.

Yeuch, runny, sticky grey goo was stuck on one of these hooks. I kept well away.

It looked like a storeroom, a burnt one at that with goods strewn everywhere.

DIY materials? I should have guessed by what was stuck on the outside of the ex-cinema.

...I finally manage to get inside a vintage authentic cinema and it’s a fucking DIY shop.., that’s just great...

Nonplussed, I climbed to the top of where the seating used to start and made my way into the back area.

This wasn't a total bust; they had left some Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother. I wasn't going to take a swig but that's damn good stuff if you can drink it, diluted of course and preferably not with your Shredded Wheat.

It was quite the maze behind what used to be the cinema, and I came quickly upon what looked like an old office teaming with junk.

Deanway Plumbing and Heating Supplies are in a state of Liquidation but are not struck off the national register.

They are an old company, registered in 1983 and I guess times took a turn for the worse.

It appears they had been habituating this old cinema for some time; 1989 receipts.

High-Density floppy disks, suitable for IBM PCs and compatibles around the same time; I wonder what data is on those?

You should not leave all your accounts hanging around, it’s a terrible idea. I could go have a look for instance.

2013 was about the latest date I was seeing. The outside tells of a new address, so they had moved.

Yet they had left half of their stockpile hanging around in here.

That's a big arse drill and might still work if powered up.

Was all this junk not worth taking? It's little wonder they are in a state of liquidation.

Leaving the ‘office’ or ‘storeroom’ I passed by the cinema area again and noted the extensive burning. Was this the reason for the evacuation?

I guess burnt goods don't sell very well, even using BOGOFF sales tactics.

This receipt is dated 2017. Maybe they had not been gone so long then.

It was looking more and more like the back shop at my old Kwiksave. I could use these images for my autobiography to install a sense of realism.

We found what used to be the front door after navigating through the maze of corridors and rooms. This month’s special offer did not appeal much.

Ancient relics on the shelves, probably rare, priceless, and should be auctioned off at Sotheby’s of London.

One area was so dark I couldn’t see it very well. After a tentative step and finding murky water beneath my feet, I hastily retreated.

It’s hardly antique furniture, and quite beat up.

I would say that’s fair enough. If you want fancy shit then you must pay.

The best seat in the house reveals the dynamite holes and some dodgy bloke in the left corner possibly taking suspicious-looking substances.

Oops, it’s @anidiotexplores examining in detail the rich exotic mosaic floor tapestry of Moston Cinema.

Few appear to have visited this one, which is surprising. Maybe it's been sealed up by now. After all, we visited in July 2021. It's been some time.

If you can disregard Astoria Bingo, which I have now conquered on the second attempt, using the head-first approach, I have still yet to enter a classic old cinema. My search continues...

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