Workmen have uncovered a small slice of social history during restoration work on the cinema. Cigarette packs and film boxes from the 1930 and 40s have been found alongside old coins and ‘reserved’ signs. The cinema is being restored after securing a £2.3m lottery grant. More here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-59161953
Keswick Alhambra was one of 925 recipients of the latest round of the Culture Recovery Fund announced last November. The £86,782 will go towards the recent £300,000 upgrade to the family-run venue which delayed its reopening post-lockdown. This included a second screen under the balcony of the 108-year-old building.More here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-59345174
Didn’t really help in that one of the films screened during the restrictions was a documentary by the son of conspiracy theorist David Icke making allegations about how the NHS were dealing with COVID patients. More here: bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59853848
One report states that the cinema was opened in January 1925 by the Hurley brothers and was called the Coliseum. It closed after a year and reopened in 1929 as the Pavilion. Reopened after the rebuild in February 1943.
This photo is not of the cinema, which was located at the top of the village near the garage. The building is now some sort of beauty parlour according to Google street view.
Hall opened 27 April 1928 with a concert and was named after Thomas Ashe. It replaced the old County Hall which had been burned by the Black and Tans. It was announced in November 1971 that the theatre would become a luxury cinema but no further information has so far been established.
Opened 26 December 1958 with ‘Anastasia’, seats 1/6 or 2s with balcony at 2/6, children 1/- (matinees only). Owner Robert Cogan, garage proprietor, and Jim Cogan. All wood used was oak, hence the name. Refurbished October 1974 with the foyer enlarged and seating from 400 down to 260, aisles repositioned and toilets re-tiled. Reopening ceremony by Der Breen, Irish Film Censor. Closure date not yet established.
This is assumed to be the one opened by Ted Lowney on 29 October 1933 with ‘Two Against the World’ although there are indications there was a cinema in the town by January 1931.
Opened 9 April 1944, closed for the summer recess with Damian: Omen II on 5 July 1981 and doesn’t seem to have reopened. Was recently in business as a performance and events venue called the Cinema Club Stage but no gigs found since 2017. First cinema in town opened by Charlie Fox during the First World War in what was Owen Clarke’s shop. Clarke took it over in 1928 and opened the Castle with Andrew Carolan Easter Sunday 1944 screening ‘The Great Waltz’.
Opened May 1992 screen 1: 275 2: 200 3: 80 seats, looks like the fourth screen was added later. Proprietor Ken Dursley also owned the Lyric in Castleblayney.
Opened 1935, closed 1 January 1972, empty as of 1977. Reopened December 1978 as a studio cinema, pool room and billiard hall. A fire occurred in August 1981 but cinema reopened weekend of 20 March 1982 with ‘Stripes’ ‘Arthur’ and ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’,perhaps with additional screens,and closed in July 1982. Owners said to be the Dolan Brothers. Proposals included plans for a civic centre but still seems to be operating as a bingo-hall as indicated in the overview.
The original cinema, the Regal, opened on 10 November 1946 with the owners evidently prosecuted in December of that year for having no licence. The fire occurred on 21 June 1947 and the site was advertised at auction in June 1948.
According to the cinema’s website the Lexi is the only cinema in the UK to run as a social enterprise, with a legal covenant to donate 100% of distributable profits to its chosen charity, The Sustainability Institute in South Africa.
The Acton Arts Project Group, headed by Maire Lowe and Amanda Mason, raised more than £60,000 to get the project off the ground, and Catalyst Housing donated a further £5,000 towards the cost. The pop-up will allow the team to begin fund-raising to restore the exterior of the Grade II listed building and attract cash to find a permanent home for a two-screen cinema.
Commissioned at a cost of £3,000 by former actress Mrs. Violet Melnotte-Wyatt and named after the London theatre of the same name which she and her husband Frank Wyatt had built in 1892. The legs on the roof were acquired in 1991 from the Not the Moulin Rouge Theatre in Oxford. A further history available here: http://dukeofyorkscinema.co.uk/2010/06/a-brief-history/ and some more images here: https://www.snoozebrighton.com/2019/07/30/the-duke-of-yorks-cinema/ Link mentioned in 2007 now dead.
A scene in Sherlock Holmes drama Mr Holmes was filmed in the Pavilion; Ian McKellen sat in seat F15 FYI. More info here: https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/11374953.hailsham-pavilion-to-star-in-new-sherlock-holmes-film/
Put up for sale in 1972 by owners John Finnegan and Bertie McSweeney. Reopened by Billy McSwiney in December 1974 with 260 seats. Final closure date not established.
Workmen have uncovered a small slice of social history during restoration work on the cinema. Cigarette packs and film boxes from the 1930 and 40s have been found alongside old coins and ‘reserved’ signs. The cinema is being restored after securing a £2.3m lottery grant. More here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-59161953
Keswick Alhambra was one of 925 recipients of the latest round of the Culture Recovery Fund announced last November. The £86,782 will go towards the recent £300,000 upgrade to the family-run venue which delayed its reopening post-lockdown. This included a second screen under the balcony of the 108-year-old building.More here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-59345174
Didn’t really help in that one of the films screened during the restrictions was a documentary by the son of conspiracy theorist David Icke making allegations about how the NHS were dealing with COVID patients. More here: bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59853848
Opened on 7 November 1996 by the O'Connor family. Not associated with Reel Cinemas in the UK.
The former restaurant area, latterly occupied by The Victoria pub, has been demolished as part of an upgrade.
One report states that the cinema was opened in January 1925 by the Hurley brothers and was called the Coliseum. It closed after a year and reopened in 1929 as the Pavilion. Reopened after the rebuild in February 1943.
This photo is not of the cinema, which was located at the top of the village near the garage. The building is now some sort of beauty parlour according to Google street view.
Hall opened 27 April 1928 with a concert and was named after Thomas Ashe. It replaced the old County Hall which had been burned by the Black and Tans. It was announced in November 1971 that the theatre would become a luxury cinema but no further information has so far been established.
Opened 26 December 1958 with ‘Anastasia’, seats 1/6 or 2s with balcony at 2/6, children 1/- (matinees only). Owner Robert Cogan, garage proprietor, and Jim Cogan. All wood used was oak, hence the name. Refurbished October 1974 with the foyer enlarged and seating from 400 down to 260, aisles repositioned and toilets re-tiled. Reopening ceremony by Der Breen, Irish Film Censor. Closure date not yet established.
This is assumed to be the one opened by Ted Lowney on 29 October 1933 with ‘Two Against the World’ although there are indications there was a cinema in the town by January 1931.
Opened 9 April 1944, closed for the summer recess with Damian: Omen II on 5 July 1981 and doesn’t seem to have reopened. Was recently in business as a performance and events venue called the Cinema Club Stage but no gigs found since 2017. First cinema in town opened by Charlie Fox during the First World War in what was Owen Clarke’s shop. Clarke took it over in 1928 and opened the Castle with Andrew Carolan Easter Sunday 1944 screening ‘The Great Waltz’.
Opened May 1992 screen 1: 275 2: 200 3: 80 seats, looks like the fourth screen was added later. Proprietor Ken Dursley also owned the Lyric in Castleblayney.
Destroyed by fire September 2018. Planning permission granted by Cavan County Council in June 2021 for residential development retaining the facade.
Press ads in 1976 for Regina 1 & 2 so already two screens by then.
Opened 1935, closed 1 January 1972, empty as of 1977. Reopened December 1978 as a studio cinema, pool room and billiard hall. A fire occurred in August 1981 but cinema reopened weekend of 20 March 1982 with ‘Stripes’ ‘Arthur’ and ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’,perhaps with additional screens,and closed in July 1982. Owners said to be the Dolan Brothers. Proposals included plans for a civic centre but still seems to be operating as a bingo-hall as indicated in the overview.
The original cinema, the Regal, opened on 10 November 1946 with the owners evidently prosecuted in December of that year for having no licence. The fire occurred on 21 June 1947 and the site was advertised at auction in June 1948.
According to the cinema’s website the Lexi is the only cinema in the UK to run as a social enterprise, with a legal covenant to donate 100% of distributable profits to its chosen charity, The Sustainability Institute in South Africa.
The Acton Arts Project Group, headed by Maire Lowe and Amanda Mason, raised more than £60,000 to get the project off the ground, and Catalyst Housing donated a further £5,000 towards the cost. The pop-up will allow the team to begin fund-raising to restore the exterior of the Grade II listed building and attract cash to find a permanent home for a two-screen cinema.
Commissioned at a cost of £3,000 by former actress Mrs. Violet Melnotte-Wyatt and named after the London theatre of the same name which she and her husband Frank Wyatt had built in 1892. The legs on the roof were acquired in 1991 from the Not the Moulin Rouge Theatre in Oxford. A further history available here: http://dukeofyorkscinema.co.uk/2010/06/a-brief-history/ and some more images here: https://www.snoozebrighton.com/2019/07/30/the-duke-of-yorks-cinema/ Link mentioned in 2007 now dead.
The 2018 half-centenary, QFT50, included a screening of Brigitte Bardot movie Viva Maria! – the first ever film to screen at the cinema.
A scene in Sherlock Holmes drama Mr Holmes was filmed in the Pavilion; Ian McKellen sat in seat F15 FYI. More info here: https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/11374953.hailsham-pavilion-to-star-in-new-sherlock-holmes-film/
Looks like a series of reopenings with Mr O’Connell running the show from 23 December 1920.
Picture House was gutted by fire 19 December 1961, owned at the time by Mr N Donaghy. Obviously a lot of fires about!
Put up for sale in 1972 by owners John Finnegan and Bertie McSweeney. Reopened by Billy McSwiney in December 1974 with 260 seats. Final closure date not established.
Opened on 7 May 1945, press adverts for bazaars in 1963.