History teacher launches community bid to save Wavertree’s Abbey Cinema

A history teacher who lives in Wavertree has launched a community bid to save the landmark Abbey Cinema where Beatles George Harrison and John Lennon went as teenagers.

Originally opened in 1939, the former cinema was given Grade II listed status five years ago after efforts to protect it by local residents group Love Wavertree and heritage campaigners.

Owners Lidl had proposed to knock down the building to create a brand new store on the site but those plans were blocked by the listing.

Since then the Abbey, which features in the original lyrics of The Beatles’ 1966 song In My Life, has remained empty and its future uncertain.

Now teacher Lydia Jane Alice is hoping to reignite the community passion that saved it to help get it back open for future generations.

She has started a ‘Save the Abbey’ campaign, and within days has already had a huge response from local residents who are equally keen to see it brought to life again.

She explains:

“I moved to Wavertree with my husband in January 2020 and I remember going inside when it was a Co-op, and I was fascinated with it even then.

“Nothing has happened in those six years, it’s a bit of an eyesore now, but you can still see the original Art Deco façade.

“One Friday morning I just woke up and I was thinking about the cinema, I don’t know why, and I felt like I needed to do something about it. 

“I made a Save the Abbey account and an email, and I messaged my brother who’s got a drone and asked him to film for me. Then I went downstairs and a leaflet had been posted by our local councillor Laurence Sidorczuk saying we need to do something about the Abbey, we’re going to try and campaign to get it de-listed, so that felt like a sign.”

Lydia says she wants to bring the community together again to ensure the Abbey doesn’t go the way of some of Liverpool’s other once-beautiful historic cinemas which were left to rot after they closed.

“We’ve seen the Futurist on Lime Street lost, and one on Park Road and the ABC on Lime Street sitting derelict,” she says. “I see lots of posts on social media about Liverpool now and then and people are always saying how devastated they are when buildings are destroyed, but I’m here and I’m going to try and do something to stop it.

“I know some people might think I’m being naïve, but I’m not trying to do this on my own. I can’t be the superwoman who saves it single-handedly, but we do need to talk about it because at the moment nobody’s doing anything.

“If I fail then it’s no different than if I didn’t try so I may as well give it a go.”

30-year-old Lydia accepts there are pros and cons with its listed status which could be standing in the way of future development as well as preserving the building.

“Obviously it’s been great because it’s prevented the Abbey from being demolished but it also means with any future plans there’s going to be a lot of red tape which could have made potential interested parties feel nervous.

“We own a grade II listed house so I know it can be a blessing but also difficult when you’re trying to make progress.”

Lydia, who teaches at Carmel Sixth Form College, hopes that by bringing together local people, with all their wide range of knowledge and skills, Wavertree could pull off a rescue mission.

She adds:

“I feel like there is a yearning for community again. With the social media ban, it would be lovely to have it as a hub for young people and a local entertainment space. It doesn’t have to be a cinema, just a cool hangout place, maybe with independent businesses and a food hall. 

“The opportunity’s there for it to be something fantastic, and I’ve had so many people messaging saying they’d absolutely love to do anything to help – electricians, architects, surveyors, there are lots and lots of people who want to get behind it and do something if they get the chance.”

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