ABC Kingston upon Thames
22-30 Richmond Road,
Kingston upon Thames,
KT2 5ED
22-30 Richmond Road,
Kingston upon Thames,
KT2 5ED
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The Regal Cinema was built on an extended site of the Cinem Palace (1909-1931) which was demolished. It was built by the County Cinemas circuit in a lavish style.
It opened on 15th February 1932 with Sydney Howard in "Splinters of the Navy" and Garry Marsh in "Keepers of Youth" plus Laurel & Hardy in "Our Wives". The magnificent Wurlitzer 3Manual/12Rank (with grand piano) organ was opened by Reginald Foort. The other facilities included a large stage and many dressing rooms and a cafe with a dance floor.
It was taken over by Union Cinemas in 1936 and the name was changed from Regal to Union in March 1937. Union Cinemas were about to be taken over by Associated British Cinemas (ABC) and when they did the take-over, the name changed back to Regal Cinema in 1938.
Regular stage shows were held over the years and broadcasts and recordings of the Wurlitzer organ were numerous with famed organists Phil Park, Sydney Torch, H. Robinson Cleaver, Harold Ramsay, Dudley Savage and Joseph Seal.
In 1940 a German bomb did some damage to the cinema and the organ, but these were repaired.
It was re-named ABC from August 1961 and in October 1972 the Wurlitzer organ was removed to be installed in the Musical Museum, Brentford, Middlesex. The ABC closed as a cinema on 17th July 1976 with "Blondie" and "Adventures of a Taxi Driver".
It was converted into a Coral Bingo Club and from 1991 it has operated as a Gala Bingo Club. The Gala Bingo Club was suddenly closed in around April 2010, and the building was boarded up, with all signage removed.
It was purchased by a local man, who said he had plans to convert the building into a nightclub. Without permission, he set about internal demolition of the building, removing the glass sky-light above the stage, which allowed rainwater onto the stage. Decorative plaster was removed from the side-walls of the auditorium and all plaster-work was removed from the underside of the circle, leaving exposed supporting steel beams. The rear wall of the stalls was removed. He has been prosecuted for the damage done to the Listed Grade II building, and awaits a court hearing.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 15 comments)
This is a 2001 exterior view.
The Regal’s Wurlitzer Organ being played at the Brentford Musical Museum in August 2009.
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Noted today that the Gala club is now closed and the building is shuttered up.
2.25 million pounds and it’s yours !!!
some great writing and pictures here from ian g
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Vintage photographs, and details about the Wurlitzer organ and its console:
http://www.ukwurlitzer.co.cc/2174.html
looks like internal demolition has been occuring, bare rubble floor, interior stripped and stage area roofless by the look of it!!
a large chunk of the proscenium smashed off too
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more photography from 28 Days Later website showing the internal demolition of this supposed Listed Building???
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Walked past building today and noticed that the architects plaque has been uncovered during the stripping paint off the lower walls. It just says “Robert Cromie 1932”. I hope it’s left on display whatever happens to the building.
Urwin.
The Regal on 14th November 2011:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brighton/6351316802/in/photostream/#/photos/brighton/6351316802/in/photostream/lightbox/
JL