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The Granada stood proudly on West Gate in the town centre, showing blockbuster movies and hosting concerts by the likes of The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Cliff Richard and Billy Fury.

Visitors enjoyed casting their eye over nostalgic information, photos and memorabilia at the exhibition, which runs at Mansfield Museum on Leeming Street for two months until the end of May.

But the opening day also served as a special reunion for former members of staff at the Granada who got together to remember their time at the venue, which was originally built as a cinema and known as the Plaza.

Mansfield 103.2 presenter Ian 'Watko' Watkins, who organised the exhibition with Alan Wilson, the last organist at the Granada venue before it closed 50 years ago.

It opened on August 4 1930 before it was taken over by the Granada Theatres chain and re-named in 1942.

Two of the cinema’s former projectionists, Malc Appleby and Fred Shelton, were among the former staff at the exhibition’s opening.

Beatlemania and Swinging Sixties set for reprise with special show in Mansfield

Malc started at the Granada in 1958 at the age of 15, and worked there for five years, initially under the leadership of chief projectionist, Alf Bailey.

Former members of staff at the Granada gather at the opening of the exhibition for a special reunion.

He remembers that the film industry was “going through a rough time due to the increasing popularity of television that people could watch in their homes”.

So the Granada gradually morphed into a music and entertainment venue too, even though it had only a small stage and no proper dressing-rooms backstage.

The Beatles played there twice in 1963, just as they were about to take the country by storm. And up-and-coming comedians who would become household names, such as Jimmy Tarbuck, Bob Monkhouse and Hughie Green, hosted shows there too

The exhibition has been organised by popular Mansfield 103.2 radio presenter Ian ‘Watko’ Watkins, with help from Alan Wilson, the Granada’s last cinema organist.

This picture of the Granada on West Gate, Mansfield was taken by Berisford Jones on Thursday May 24, 1973, two days before the venue closed for good.

Ian has held a fascination with the Granada since his father, David, who still lives in Mansfield, told him about The Beatles’ concerts there that he attended. Ian runs a website, thegranadamansfield.co.uk, which preserves treasured memories of the venue.

The Granada closed on May 26, 1973 with the showing of the film, ‘Young Winston’, starring Simon Ward, and the staging of a concert that bade farewell to the venue’s famous Wurlitzer organ. The building was demolished three months later.

Exhibition rekindles memories of Mansfield venue that welcomed The Beatles