Empire cinema in Merton Road, Watford, became ABC and Cannon

The Watford Observer is delighted to share pictures from the archive at Watford Museum and this week we recall the Empire cinema.

The museum’s volunteer archivist Christine Orchard said: “This building is at the corner of Merton Road and Victoria Passage.

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How the former cinema looked in July 2021 (Image: Google Street View)

“It was originally built as an Empire cinema in 1913 with an ornate decorative frontage but this was simplified in the mid-1960s.

“It became an ABC cinema in 1985 and was renamed Cannon just over a year later although people still called it the Empire.

“It was the last of the original town centre cinemas and did not close until the mid-1990s.

“Since then, the building has had further alterations but essentially it is still the same structure built more than 100 years ago.”

Visit the Museum Facebook page or website www.watfordmuseum.org.uk to see more historic photos.