Description:Mr G T Merrick is pictured feeding a film into the modern projector at the Sandonia Cinema, of which he was the Manager.
The Sandonia Theatre on Sandon Road, Stafford was designed and built by Sandy and Norris, the theatre was opened on 29 November 1920. In the twenties the Sandonia presented Grand Opera and some of the largest musical shows in the country. But it was never a great success either as a theatre or cinema. It closed in the 1960s and became a bingo hall, before being occupied by a snooker club. In 2018 the building was derelict and in July 2021 it was being demolished.
This photograph was published in the Staffordshire Newsletter on 9 July 1955; it appeared in one of three articles dealing with the history of Stafford’s entertainments. Picture reproduced by kind permission of the Staffordshire Newsletter who retain copyright.