Just off High Street stood a building with stories to tell. It opened in 1913 as the Century Picture Palace, a grand cinema complete with its own café. By 1919, it had reinvented itself as La Scala Cinema, screening blockbusters for decades before swapping film reels for dance shoes in 1957.

That year marked a transformation. The cinema became a ballroom, buzzing with big bands, live acts, and the kind of nights that made Runcorn swing. Its sprung dancefloor and art deco frontage, crowned with a neat little cupola, turned La Scala into a local landmark and a magnet for music lovers.

Then came 1962, and history walked through its doors. The Beatles played not once, but twice on 16^th October and 11^th December long before the world knew their names.

Soon after, legends like Gene Vincent graced the stage, adding to the venue’s growing reputation as a hotspot for live music.

As the decades rolled on, La Scala adapted. The ballroom vibe gave way to a bingo hall in the 1970’s and nightclub beats in the late 1980s. By 2006, the lights dimmed for good, and demolition followed in 2012. What remains is memory, a building that danced through eras, hosted icons, and left an indelible mark on Runcorn’s cultural map.