I’ve uploaded a photo from the early sixties of the Projection Room,it was given to the former manager of the Town Hall Cinema Pwllheli by the 2nd projectionist of the Odeon. Does anybody remember the hobby of tapesponding ? something similar to pen friends only instead of letters people used to send recording tapes. And this was before audio cassettes. Bill Kenny the Town Hall’s manager was also a projectionist in those days.He passed away this year, I don’t recall the name of the chap at the Odeon Accrington.Sorry about the condition of the photo, I just found it today.
I remember that in 1966 I went along to the Plaza with the 2nd projectionist from the Palladium Pwllheli who was deputising for a week. The film showing was Thunderball. The central heating was out of action and they had a huge fan heater in front of the stage, you could see a flame every now & then,it would never be allowed today, and probably was not supposed to be then either. I remember the fire officers who used to inspect our place (the Town Hall Cinema Pwllheli) were much more thorough that in my latter years before I retired.
I liked the Plaza it had no balcony, access to the projection room was from the outside only, I would have found this inconvenient as I quite often liked to pop into the auditorium to check the level of the sound. I think it carried on until 1984, as I beleive the family of Mr Baker decided to run all the cinemas for one year while on sale.
The Duke Of Edinburgh was stationed there,also an RAF training camp at Penyberth Penrhos, which was even nearer to town. All these servicemen & women meant excellent business for the 2 cinemas in town.
Just read the previous post from KennyCaglewhich was sent almost a year ago, I was in Liverpool England last weekend with the wife, and we went to the 14 screen Odeon Liverpool One.
I remember mentioning to her how remarkable it is that even though the sound is played at such a loud level (often probably to loud)it cannot be heard in the neighbouring screens,Don’t know have they do it. This multiplex is on 2 or three levels as it’s in the middle of the city.
The open space had previously been the site of Russell Bros garage, which meant the cinema could only be seen from the shop for about 4 years after the garage was demolished.
I’d better own up David, Mr Reel is yours truly, This photo could not be done today (assuming the Palladium was still standing of course)as it was taken from an upstairs window of what is now a ladies hair salon on the Maes. at the time it was my father’s grocer shop and I grew up there, the site in front of the Palladium is now occupied by the Spar & Iceland supermarkets, which of course would have obscured the cinema.
The screen actually had sharp box like corners, but John Hughes made these nice curved corners either with plywood or hard cardboard, I’m not quite sure, and painted them black.
Climbing up ladders came easily to John, the top of the screen was quite high, He used to erect television antennas around Pwllheli as a sideline, as well as being an outstanding self taught tv engineer as Mr Morris has already pointed out in one of his posts.
It may surprise younger viewers that the building at the far end of the Maes car park was the town’s abbatoir, where the public toilets now stands. Imagine having such a building today, slap bang in the middle of town.
Not having looked up this cinema on CT for some time I was saddened when in Liverpool yesterday to see that the Odeon was no more,I asked a chap working in a shop opposite as to when it was demolished, and he said it was a couple of months ago,anything to get rid of me I suppose. I decided to take a picture anyway, I wonder what happened to the plaque honouring the late Liverpool film star John Gregson, which I remember being unveiled although I never saw it myself.
I did the guided tour again in 2008, but this time the projection suite was not included, is the booth now out of bounds to the pulic ? The carrier bag on the bench was mine, I’d placed it there in order to take pictures, and then forgot all about it. I was outside when I realised this, but the lady kindlytook me back there, and left me there, so I was able to snoop around a bit more. Being a projectionist myself was not likely to do any damage.
I’ve done a little research, Miss Saigon was on in 1995, I’ll check with my niece next time I see her, as the show could have been there more than once for all I know.
When I was on holiday in the States from wales in 1990, I’m sure there was a multiplex called the Plaza.
I saw the Harrison Ford movie Presumed Innocent there, but the cinema is not listed on this site, so am I mistaken ?
Hi David, your photos are brilliant, I can see the fencing or barriers on the Maes end of the path from Cardiff Rd. We lived on the Maes for many years, and it was my Dad who suggested to the Town Council that the barriers would be a good idea as the children used to run from the Saturday afternoon matinee straight into the road at the Maes.
We lived at Siop Newydd where Alan’s Hairdresser is now situated, that is where from that I photographed the Palladium photo you found on Flickr after the garage was demolished. The barriers are no longer in place, but then neither is the Palladium.
This was taken in the sixties, during the cinema’s Odeon years.
I’ve uploaded a photo from the early sixties of the Projection Room,it was given to the former manager of the Town Hall Cinema Pwllheli by the 2nd projectionist of the Odeon. Does anybody remember the hobby of tapesponding ? something similar to pen friends only instead of letters people used to send recording tapes. And this was before audio cassettes. Bill Kenny the Town Hall’s manager was also a projectionist in those days.He passed away this year, I don’t recall the name of the chap at the Odeon Accrington.Sorry about the condition of the photo, I just found it today.
Seems a bit mean that the general public are not allowed at the cinema, being loyal Brits and all that.
A Police Station is now on site, makes a change to a supermarket I suppose !
I remember that in 1966 I went along to the Plaza with the 2nd projectionist from the Palladium Pwllheli who was deputising for a week. The film showing was Thunderball. The central heating was out of action and they had a huge fan heater in front of the stage, you could see a flame every now & then,it would never be allowed today, and probably was not supposed to be then either. I remember the fire officers who used to inspect our place (the Town Hall Cinema Pwllheli) were much more thorough that in my latter years before I retired. I liked the Plaza it had no balcony, access to the projection room was from the outside only, I would have found this inconvenient as I quite often liked to pop into the auditorium to check the level of the sound. I think it carried on until 1984, as I beleive the family of Mr Baker decided to run all the cinemas for one year while on sale.
The Duke Of Edinburgh was stationed there,also an RAF training camp at Penyberth Penrhos, which was even nearer to town. All these servicemen & women meant excellent business for the 2 cinemas in town.
I’ve uploaded a picture depicting the Palladium during the war years, just click on photos.
It is now known as the Magic Lantern Cinema.
Just read the previous post from KennyCaglewhich was sent almost a year ago, I was in Liverpool England last weekend with the wife, and we went to the 14 screen Odeon Liverpool One. I remember mentioning to her how remarkable it is that even though the sound is played at such a loud level (often probably to loud)it cannot be heard in the neighbouring screens,Don’t know have they do it. This multiplex is on 2 or three levels as it’s in the middle of the city.
Hi David, I’ve just added a couple of comments under the photo.
The open space had previously been the site of Russell Bros garage, which meant the cinema could only be seen from the shop for about 4 years after the garage was demolished.
I’d better own up David, Mr Reel is yours truly, This photo could not be done today (assuming the Palladium was still standing of course)as it was taken from an upstairs window of what is now a ladies hair salon on the Maes. at the time it was my father’s grocer shop and I grew up there, the site in front of the Palladium is now occupied by the Spar & Iceland supermarkets, which of course would have obscured the cinema.
The lady in the photo is the late Elisabeth (liz) Griffiths,Cashier.
The screen actually had sharp box like corners, but John Hughes made these nice curved corners either with plywood or hard cardboard, I’m not quite sure, and painted them black. Climbing up ladders came easily to John, the top of the screen was quite high, He used to erect television antennas around Pwllheli as a sideline, as well as being an outstanding self taught tv engineer as Mr Morris has already pointed out in one of his posts.
It may surprise younger viewers that the building at the far end of the Maes car park was the town’s abbatoir, where the public toilets now stands. Imagine having such a building today, slap bang in the middle of town.
Please click on photos for the picture.
Not having looked up this cinema on CT for some time I was saddened when in Liverpool yesterday to see that the Odeon was no more,I asked a chap working in a shop opposite as to when it was demolished, and he said it was a couple of months ago,anything to get rid of me I suppose. I decided to take a picture anyway, I wonder what happened to the plaque honouring the late Liverpool film star John Gregson, which I remember being unveiled although I never saw it myself.
I did the guided tour again in 2008, but this time the projection suite was not included, is the booth now out of bounds to the pulic ? The carrier bag on the bench was mine, I’d placed it there in order to take pictures, and then forgot all about it. I was outside when I realised this, but the lady kindlytook me back there, and left me there, so I was able to snoop around a bit more. Being a projectionist myself was not likely to do any damage.
I’ve been told that the photo was taken in 1994, show was probably still running in ‘94.
I’ve done a little research, Miss Saigon was on in 1995, I’ll check with my niece next time I see her, as the show could have been there more than once for all I know.
I’ve added a photo, it’s the one with the ‘Miss Saigon’ banner on the side wall.
When I was on holiday in the States from wales in 1990, I’m sure there was a multiplex called the Plaza. I saw the Harrison Ford movie Presumed Innocent there, but the cinema is not listed on this site, so am I mistaken ?
I beleive that the building was a former chapel, with the red bricked frontage added on for conversion into a cinema.
The Ucheldre Theatre/Cinema in Holyhead North Wales, is also a former church, and is currently open.
Hi David, your photos are brilliant, I can see the fencing or barriers on the Maes end of the path from Cardiff Rd. We lived on the Maes for many years, and it was my Dad who suggested to the Town Council that the barriers would be a good idea as the children used to run from the Saturday afternoon matinee straight into the road at the Maes. We lived at Siop Newydd where Alan’s Hairdresser is now situated, that is where from that I photographed the Palladium photo you found on Flickr after the garage was demolished. The barriers are no longer in place, but then neither is the Palladium.