The Magic Lantern, Preston Grange

North Road

The land upon which the Magic lantern stands has been the site of a number of businesses over the years. In the late 1960s, after the housing development of Preston Grange Estate had begun, a car showroom belonging to Minories Garages stood there.

After this closed, Hinton's supermarket traded there, changing its name to Presto after the Hinton's chain was taken over by the Argyll Group. By the late 1980s the nearby Preston Grange Shopping Centre, home of the world's first Presto store, had begun to deteriorate following the opening of the Morrison's superstore a few metres away. Presto closed and the building lay derelict for a number of years before being demolished to make way for the new family pub.

The Magic Lantern, with its Wacky Warehouse play area for children opened in 1999.