TRIBUTES have been paid to a much-loved Waterloo cinema expert. Harold Ackroyd’s “amazing” knowledge of his favourite subject and his deep passion for film and cinema are legendary. He even turned two upstairs rooms of his Crosby Road South home into a mini picture house of his own. Born in 1923, Mr Ackroyd worked as a film projector and went on to manage cinemas across Merseyside. His funeral took place last Wednesday at Anfield Crematorium. His wife of 37 years, Dorothy, 89, said: “Harold had a very good sense of humour. He liked comedy, especially Laurel and Hardy films. “He liked everything pre-1940. He did not like today’s films; they have not the same acting ability today. “There were stars in those days. He loved Jack Benny in George Washington Slept Here. “The last film he screened was the Great Waltz; it had Strauss music.” In his home cinema are several film reels, including Bob Hope in Road to Morocco, from 1942, and Charlie Chan in Shanghai, from 1935, which he showed on a big screen The room is decorated in pictures of old cinemas and houses a dozen red flip-back chairs. During intervals, he would put on organ music and Dorothy would serve refreshments at the end of the show. The cinema was destroyed by fire caused by an electrical fault in 1999 and Mr Ackroyd rebuilt it from scratch. Neighbour Ken Inman, 54, said: “The fire was nobody’s fault but it was very funny when the firemen picked a film up from the floor; It was called A Fire has been Arranged, from 1935. Everyone thought it was hysterical.” Mr Ackroyd, 85, was a trustee of the Plaza when it became a community cinema and wrote a number of books telling the history of the industry on Merseyside; the Picture Palaces of Liverpool, the Picture Palaces of Merseyside, From Silent to Sound and the Dream Palaces of Liverpool. Ken added: “The upstairs cinema felt like you were in a proper cinema. Harold and I would sit watching the old movies; it was fantastic. Harold knew everything there was to know about cinema; you could be talking about something and he would recite a film on the subject. “I would take him to cinema exhibitions in Blackpool and Birmingham. His knowledge about cinema was brilliant. “Every fortnight when a film was shown, Dorothy would make tea and cakes and greet people and take them upstairs. You won’t get anyone like Harold ever again.” Former Crosby Herald chief reporter Chris Hannaway interviewed Mr Ackroyd in 2002. He said: “His knowledge of Merseyside cinemas was absolutely amazing. Not only could he tell you the year a picture house was built and what the first film was – he could even remember how many seats it had in the upper balcony! “Thankfully Mr Ackroyd was able to record his incredible knowledge in his books, and I'm sure these will prove valuable historical records for generations to come.” | 
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