In 1898 a group of local miners formed themselves into a committee to establish an association aimed at improving the social amenities of their fellow workers.

CADW re-listed the Memorial hall as Grade II* in 2003, the report summary stated, "Early 20th C. Workman's Hall with unusually high quality and exceptionally well preserved cinema auditorium" The cinema auditorium is located on the upper floor of the Memorial Hall, and could seat around 700 people. It still possess a magnificent sense of grandeur and an all pervasive ambience that shines through, even in it's current state of disrepair.

Music has always played a major role in the history of the Memo. The styles may change and the music evolved from dance bands to punk rock, tea dances to teddyboys, from rock and roll to heavy metal. Yes the Memo has seen it all.

In later years the decline of the coal industry and widening ownership of television sets was to have a heavy impact on cinema audiences gradually eroding cinema attendance in the late 1960s. Bingo sessions were introduced to try and draw back some people, but this was not enough to save the place and the cinema finally closed its doors around 1972