Object No.91

This is a model of the Empire Cinema in Church Street, made by Peter Tipping. Originally the cinema site was a row of shops and houses. Just before World War I a toy factory was added at the back – but late cheap imports made this unviable. Later it was converted to a concert/dance hall. By 1926 the building was converted to a cinema which closed in 1969. The building still retains the distinctive cinema appearance and is now MK Furniture.

For a personal recollection of the Empire visit Brian Dunleavy’s Wolverton Past website