Parade Kinema

In Sandown, a resort on the Isle of Wight, the Kursaal began life at the end of the 19th century as an unnamed arcade of shops extending along the southern end of the Esplanade.

Early in the 20th century Mr Porter, Senior, acquired the arcade and built a concert hall, complete with dance floor, on the flat roof. Having recently visited Austria, gave the development the name Kursaal.

For a short period in the first decade of the new century the Rex Bioscope Company, headed by Rex Granville, leased the Kursaal for use as a cinema. However, for reasons unknown, this arrangement did not work out, and these shows moved to the Town Hall. Mr Porter then opened his own cinema, using a single hand-cranked projector.

Towards the end of World War I, due to its Germanic connotations, the Kursaal was renamed Vectis Hall. Films appear to have been largely abandoned in favour of variety but, after the war, Mr Porter introduced a new venture.

He acquired land between Vectis Hall and Ferncliff Slip and built a large canvas structure made by Grays of Newport to house a daylight “Silver Screen”, which he named the Parade Kinema. Films were shown there in the summer, and in the Hall in the winter.

It is not known how long the Parade Kinema operated. The Porter family continued to run Vectis Hall until 1932, after which many changes took place. However, it is assumed the Parade Kinema had closed - and been demolished - even before then.

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