Abbey Cinema - Liverpool - JacobKellyPhotography.co.uk

The Abbey Cinema in Wavertree, Liverpool, opened in 1939 as a striking Art Deco picture palace designed by Sir Alfred Ernest Shennan and quickly became one of the area’s most beloved entertainment venues, known for its grand auditorium and local cultural significance; it was a favourite haunt of John Lennon and George Harrison in their youth and even features in the original handwritten lyrics of In My Life. After its closure as a cinema in 1979, the building was repurposed over the years as a supermarket, bingo hall and snooker club, with the Co-op operating there until 2020. In May 2020 the site was sold to the German supermarket chain Lidl, which initially sparked controversy by proposing to demolish the historic structure in favour of a new store, prompting local campaigns to save it. The building was granted Grade II listed status in 2021, a designation that has so far protected its distinctive architecture from demolition, and subsequent proposals from Lidl have been adjusted to explore retaining the building’s façade and incorporating it into redevelopment plans, though at one point the company withdrew its planning application due to the constraints of the listed status.